Burak Bedikyan - Awakening

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:24
Size: 159,7 MB
Art: Front

(7:09)  1. Idée Fixe
(8:56)  2. Mother Earth
(7:50)  3. All Alone
(6:09)  4. Unfair Blues
(8:33)  5. Awakening
(8:47)  6. Memory of a Fading Dream
(5:50)  7. Ad Infinitum
(9:56)  8. Do Not Fear
(6:11)  9. The All Seeing Eye

On his third release as a leader, Istanbul based pianist, Burak Bedikyan seamlessly blends his dual education in western classical and jazz and his national/ethnic heritage into an intriguing and cohesive album. Awakening comprises of nine Bedikyan originals that are elegantly crafted balancing intricate harmonies with deceptively effortless fluidity. The gently rolling refrains on the lilting ballad "Mother Earth," for instance, have a warm, Near Eastern lyricism. Saxophonist Loren Stillman embellishes the melancholic theme with yearning spontaneous phrases filled with passion. Bedikyan fashions his expressive solo with series of resonant notes that ring with wistful poetry. Stillman and Bedikyan trade contemplative and dynamic lines on the dramatic "Do Not Fear." Over Bedikyan's shimmering keys, Bassist Ugonna Okegwo plays a lithe and darkly hued soliloquy with a mystical edge. Stillman's exquisitely tender and emotive improvisation ushers in the piece's conclusion. At times the disc also crackles with visceral energy and breathtaking instrumental acrobatics. On the hard bop-ish "Idée Fixe," Bedikyan lets loose a cascade of dense chords with delightful agility. His arpeggio filled performance ebbs and flows with crystalline lucidity and a vibrant, organic sound. Stillman's vibrato filled muscular alto meanders with nimble dexterity around the band's percolating vamps. Drummer Donald Edwards's thunderous beats and exuberant polyrhythms bring the music back to the gripping head. Stillman opens the expansive "Unfair Blues" with fiery lines and a soulful swagger. Bedikyan weaves an eloquent and earthy melody together with Edwards' thumping kit and Okegwo's reverberating strings. The four men exhibit captivating camaraderie in a stimulating conversation that is one of the tune's highlights.  With Awakening Bedikyan, as a composer and a musician, has achieved his personal best to date. The motifs he utilized in previous recordings, his intelligent inventiveness and charming virtuosity have all coalesced into a superb and mature work. If he stays the course Bedikyan is certainly assured a bright future and a promising career. ~ HRAYR ATTARIAN https://www.allaboutjazz.com/awakening-burak-bedikyan-steeplechase-lookout-review-by-hrayr-attarian.php

Personnel: Burak Bedikyan: piano; Donald Edwards: drums; Loren Stillman; alto and soprano saxophones; Ugonna Okegwo: bass.

Awakening

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Brandon Wright - Journeyman

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:09
Size: 140,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:49)  1. Shapeshifter
(6:32)  2. Better Man
(5:59)  3. Walk Of Shame
(3:43)  4. Illusions Of Light
(5:57)  5. Big Bully
(6:08)  6. Choices
(6:29)  7. Search For Truth
(8:19)  8. Wonderwall
(8:03)  9. The Nearness Of You
(5:05) 10. He'll Make Me Happy

Beware of album titles that seem to damn with faint praise. Although saxophonist Brandon Wright takes inspiration for the title of his second album from the words of novelist Cormac McCarthy, Journeyman is a term that usually conjures up an image of a reliable, hard-working, solid but uninspiring type of person. All admirable qualities, of course, but hardly earth shattering or applicable to the playing talent of the New York based musician. It's clear from Wright's opening phrase on "Shapeshifter" that he's much, much, more than a reliable worker. Wright's playing is strong, fluid and melodic from the start. His long, flowing tenor lines are a pleasure to hear. His debut, Boiling Point (Posi-Tone, 2010), featured trumpeter Alex Sipiagin alongside Wright. On Journeyman, Wright is out front on his own, but he shoulders the extra sonic responsibility with verve and confidence. "Shapeshifter" establishes not only Wright's chops, but also the strength of the rhythm section. Donald Edwards' driving percussion gives the entire quartet an energy and dynamism. Boris Kozlov's bass stays low in the mix but matches Edwards' swing and power. Pianist David Kikoski who also appears on Boiling Point combines stabbing, rich, left-hand chords with intricate single note runs. Wright's original compositions are engaging. His description of "Walk Of Shame" as a "funky blues" sums it up neatly: straightforward, immediate and fun. "Illusions Of Light" shows that he can also write a soulful ballad and deliver an equally soulful saxophone part while the more aggressive hard bop of "Big Bully" finds Wright and Kikoski producing excellent up-tempo solos underpinned by Koslov and Edwards' rock solid, driving rhythm. Boiling Point featured Wright's take on the Stone Temple Pilots' rock classic "Interstate Love Song." On Journeyman, he follows with interpretations of two other rock tunes. Oasis' Brit Pop standard, "Wonderwall," gets a swinging, straight-ahead treatment though the original song leant so much on the vocal that an instrumental version lacks a clear focus despite Wright's tense, upper-register solo. Pearl Jam's "Better Man," written by Eddie Vedder, proves to be a more inspired choice. Wright takes the original's slightly bitter tone and replaces it with a more regretful mood, established by Kikoski's piano as well as his own tenor saxophone. A lack of familiarity with McCarthy's romanticized image might just make some fans wonder whether this album is worth exploring. That would be a mistake. Wright is an imaginative and hard-blowing saxophonist and a creative composer. This Journeyman inspires, and more. ~ Bruce Lindsay https://www.allaboutjazz.com/journeyman-brandon-wright-posi-tone-records-review-by-bruce-lindsay.php

Personnel:  Brandon Wright: tenor saxophone;  David Kikoski: piano;  Boris Kozlov: bass;  Donald Edwards: drums.

Journeyman

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Ari Ambrose - Retrospect

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:12
Size: 156,5 MB
Art: Front

(11:03)  1. Last Stand
( 7:21)  2. Sophisticated Lady
( 8:13)  3. Back Road
(10:11)  4. Retrospect
(11:49)  5. Gone With The Wind
(10:00)  6. Escapade
( 9:32)  7. Just One Of Those Things

At just forty-two years of age, tenorist Ari Ambrose may seem a bit young to be releasing a record with the title Retrospect. The realization that it’s his fourteenth as a leader for Steeplechase applies credence to the logic of the choice. Ambrose came of age as a player under the Danish label’s loyal auspices, part of a peer group that includes Stephen Riley, Chris Byars, Jed Levy and slightly older saxophonists like Rich Perry and Greg Tardy. It’s collective fast company, but Ambrose has long aligned his activities with equity between history and interpretive industry. This session falls right in step with his abiding philosophy of embracing programs canted toward older tunes. Two originals join five standards, but there are also subtle deviations most prominently in how the leader approaches the material. Ambrose notes a longitudinal change in his thinking through interview snippets in the liners, zeroing in on the stylistic distinctions between Sonny Stitt and Gene Ammons and how his younger self was enamored by the fearless skill of the former. As an older player, it’s Ammons that now holds the edge in Ambrose’s estimation. In a simplified sense it’s an affirmation of the worth of presence and feeling over technical prowess.

The shift in emphasis is immediately evident in Ambrose’s rendering of the Ellington ballad “Sophisticated Lady”, his horn essaying the theme with an eloquence that’s rife with all sorts of subtle decisions in terms of inflection and tone. Trumpeter Alex Norris follows suit with a velvety brass sound that echoes the precedent of Kenny Dorham with a warm, translucent sound. No coincidence then that two of Dorham’s tunes show up in the set starting with the relatively obscure “Back Road”, a bright boppish line that shows off the winsome confluence in the frontline tandem. “Escapade”, also borrowed from the classic Joe Henderson album Our Thing (1964), speaks to the quintet’s strengths. Pianist Jeremy Manasia leads the rhythm section in ensuring that all the technical necessities are ably shored up. Bassist Jay Anderson and drummer Donald Edwards are the other architects in framing the formulations of the horns with thoughtful support. That heavy lifting accomplished, Ambrose and Norris are free to blow at length, shaping solos that blend melodic ingenuity with an ear toward graceful dramatic exposition. “Gone with the Wind” carries the pungent aroma of mothballs in nearly all of its modern iterations, but the quintet rises to a collective challenge in outfitting it with a fresh scent and largely succeeds. In heart and mind, the “new” Ambrose is the same as the old, but a deep maturity in his playing built on a discography now safely in the double digits suggests he still has much to say. ~ Derek Taylor

Personnel:  Ari Ambrose  (tenor saxophone, composer);  Alex Norris  (trumpet);  Jeremy Manasia  (piano);  Jay Anderson  (bass);  Donald Edwards  (drums).

Retrospect

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Misha Tsiganov - The Artistry Of The Standard

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:43
Size: 148,6 MB
Art: Front

(7:41)  1. Fall
(9:19)  2. Get Out Of Town
(7:04)  3. The Song Is You
(7:01)  4. Au-Leu-Cha
(5:35)  5. This Is For Albert
(6:37)  6. Four On Six
(7:48)  7. Falling In Love With Love
(6:41)  8. Mr. Day
(6:52)  9. Make Sure You're Sure

Standards represent so many things. They can be a fallback for those short on ideas or a springboard for those willing to invest a bit of themselves into the music. They're a representative historical sampling of what jazz has been and done, reminding all of those on the bandstand of who and what came before, but they can be so much more. Considering all of that, it's hard to imagine why a segment of players often prefer not to address them at all.  Plenty of modernists have abandoned standards or choose to simply use them as garnish around their own dishes. Some are willing to buck the trend and do all-standards programs, but they often do so by making simple adjustments to the established formulas or retreating into the comfortable confines that these songs offer in their original state(s). Pianist Misha Tsiganov does no such thing on The Artistry Of The Standard. Tsiganov pulls history in his direction, altering the shape and scope of these pieces without abandoning what made each one so special in the first place.  The Artistry Of The Standard marks the first time that Tsiganov has ever imagined and written a program with specific musicians in mind, and it's easy to see why he's so enthused about these men. Drummer Donald Edwards can navigate his way through any course with grace and drive; bassist Boris Kozlov is as dynamic and supportive as they come; Seamus Blake's terpsichorean tenor can bound along with glee, sing sweet songs, and outpace nearly anybody in a sprint; and trumpeter Alex Sipiagin brings both focused potency and a sense of warmth to the party, changing hats for different scenarios.

This may be the debut of this particular quintet, but Tsiganov's comrades-in-arms are no strangers to one another. They've crossed paths in various settings and they make up four-fifths of Opus 5, the collectively-operated quintet that also includes pianist David Kikoski. They're well-attuned to one another and it shows on these natty rewrites. Lesser musicians, and even some fine players, would likely stumble and falter on the twisting and turning version of saxophonist Wayne Shorter's "Fall" that opens the album. That song gets the ball rolling and it never stops. As the program continues, the band winds its way through Cole Porter country ("Get Out Of Town"), Tsiganov steps out front to introduce the work of Jerome Kern ("The Song Is You"), and everybody adds a little attitude to a Charlie Parker classic ("Ah-Leu-Cha"). Tsiganov has no problem molding fan favorites to his liking, as demonstrated on the aforementioned numbers and a charged take on guitarist Wes Montgomery's "Four On Six," but he also works his magic on lesser-covered gems like Stevie Wonder's "Make Sure You're Sure." Sipiagin's muted trumpet work, Blake's beautiful tenor, and the leader's classy trappings all come together wonderfully on that one.  Many of these songs have come to define jazz for a certain segment of listeners, but they need not be viewed as sacrosanct vessels. A song, be it a standard or any other type, is simply source material, and it's up to the musicians to do with them as they please. That's where artistry comes into play when addressing the standards, and Tsiganov truly gets that. ~ Dan Bilawsky https://www.allaboutjazz.com/misha-tsiganov-the-artistry-of-the-standard-by-dan-bilawsky.php

Personnel: Misha Tsiganov: piano;  Alex Sipiagin: trumpet, flugelhorn;  Seamus Blake: tenor saxophone;  Boris Kozlov: bass;  Donald Edwards: drums.

The Artistry Of The Standard

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Donald Edwards - Prelude To Real Life

Styles: Post Bop, Contemporary Jazz  
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:11
Size: 156,7 MB
Art: Front

(1:57)  1. Taking Shape
(6:23)  2. Incantation
(1:00)  3. Hop Scotch
(8:09)  4. Apple Street
(8:08)  5. Way to Her
(0:38)  6. King
(7:37)  7. Queen and the Princess
(7:58)  8. Stablemates
(8:56)  9. Beautiful Intuition
(6:57) 10. Thought for the Day
(4:34) 11. Skippy
(4:47) 12. Prelude to Real Life

On his second Criss Cross leader date, Prelude to Real Life, drummer Donald Edwards picks up where he left off with the next installment of an autobiographical narrativ in notes and tones. Whereas in his debut, Evolution of an Influenced Mind, Edwards conveyed the story of his formative years as a musician with eleven original compositions, here he addresses themes of love, family and fatherhood with an engaging suite comprising six kinetic, diverse originals of his and one by Alex Sipiagin, two personalized standards (Thelonious Monk's Skippy; Benny Golson's Stablemates); and three textural drum interludes. Rejoining him from the first date are pianist Orrin Evans and tenor saxophonist Walter Smith III, both Criss Cross veterans, guitarist David Gilmore, while rising star Luques Curtis assuming the bass chair. Edwards' old friend Nicholas Payton plays keyboards on three tracks, and eminent New York singer Vivian Sessoms lends her voice to three selections. https://www.amazon.com/Prelude-Real-Life-Donald-Edwards/dp/B019A1AZJU

Personnel: Donald Edwards (drums); David Gilmore (guitar); Walter Smith III (tenor saxophone); David Stoller (piano, Fender Rhodes piano, organ); Nicholas Payton (piano, Fender Rhodes piano); Orrin Evans (piano).

Prelude To Real Life

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Thomas Marriott - Urban Folklore

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:07
Size: 99,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:15)  1. Apophis
(4:03)  2. The Tale of Debauchery
(5:27)  3. Room 547
(3:32)  4. Mo-Joe
(6:23)  5. What Emptiness Can Do
(3:23)  6. Locked Up (Theme From "The Shot Caller")
(6:01)  7. Living on the Minimum
(3:44)  8. I'm Vibing You
(6:14)  9. Washington Generals

Nothing has hit quite as hard as recent music from the trio of pianist Orrin Evans, bassist Eric Revis and Drummer Donald Edwards. The three musicians seek out (or probably are sought by) collaborators of equal weight and energy. It is not surprising that this recording of nine compositions, led by trumpeter and Seattle native Thomas Marriott, is a knockout from the opening number. Urban Folklore is Marriott's ninth as leader, and follows Dialogue (Origin Records, 2012) a live date in which Evans was a guest artist. "Apophis" whirls with the trumpeter's gentle yet passionate tone, drawing the trio into the mix, only to open into a blistering post-bop run. Marriott draws upon the shared language the three exhibited on Evans' trio disc ..."It was beauty" (Criss Cross, 2013) and also Edwards Evolution Of An Influenced Mind (Criss Cross, 2014), which included saxophonist Walter Smith III and guitarist David Gilmore.  Fans of Evans' Captain Black and Tarbaby bands will have much to celebrate here. Marriott stands toe-to-toe on the burners, including the funk-laid foundation of "The Tale Of Debauchery," a Freddie Hubbard mid-sixties inspired "Mo-Joe," and the ever-so-hip bouncing of "Living On The Minimum." He also delivers on the tender ballad "What Emptiness Can Do," with a benevolent trumpet sound that could easily be mistaken for a flugelhorn. Marriott's trumpet pulls from both the classic Blue Note hard bop sound and the modern textures heard from Dave Douglas and Ron Miles. With Urban Folklore the West Coast-meets-East Coast sound is the new cool. ~ Mark Corroto https://www.allaboutjazz.com/urban-folklore-thomas-marriott-origin-records-review-by-mark-corroto.php
 

Personnel: Thomas Marriott: trumpet; Orrin Evans: piano; Eric Revis: bass; Donald Edwards: drums.

Urban Folklore

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Jack Walrath - To Hellas And Back

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@256K/s
Time: 69:52
Size: 128,2 MB
Art: Front

(7:20)  1. Leaving Santorini Blues
(6:30)  2. Bees
(7:43)  3. O' Mangas
(6:05)  4. Tsiknopempti
(5:52)  5. Grace
(7:47)  6. Blues For The Blind
(6:13)  7. Panopticon
(7:55)  8. Enter … Boris
(8:58)  9. Via Ia
(5:24) 10. Norris Junction

An often exciting, thoughtful trumpeter and good arranger, Jack Walrath has steadily gained attention and exposure through his contributions to outstanding sessions. Walrath began playing trumpet at nine, and studied at Berklee in the mid- and late '60s while working with other students and backing up R&B vocalists. He moved to the West Coast in 1969, and co-led the bands Change with Gary Peacock, and Revival with Glenn Ferris. Walrath also toured a year with Ray Charles. Walrath relocated to New York in the early 70s, and worked with Latin bands before playing with Charles Mingus from 1974 to 1979, an association that gave him a certain amount of recognition. Walrath contributed some arrangements and orchestrations to Mingus' final recordings. In the 1980s and '90s, he led his own bands, toured Europe with Dannie Richmond and the British group Spirit Level, worked with Charlie Persip's Superband and Richard Abrams, and helped keep the music of Charles Mingus alive by playing with Mingus Dynasty. Jack Walrath has recorded as a leader for Gatemouth, Stash, SteepleChase, Red, Muse, Spotlite, Blue Note, and Mapleshade; he is still improving with age. ~ Ron Wynn https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/jack-walrath/id36602597#fullText

Personnel:  Jack Walrath – trumpet;  Abraham Burton - tenor sax;  George Burton – piano;  Boris Kozlov – bass;  Donald Edwards - drums

To Hellas And Back

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Donald Edwards - Evolution Of An Influenced Mind

Styles: Post Bop, Contemporary Jazz 
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:56
Size: 147,1 MB
Art: Front

(2:08)  1. American Drum Call To Mama
(7:19)  2. History Of The Future
(4:56)  3. Niecee
(6:55)  4. The Dream
(6:53)  5. The Essential Passion
(5:18)  6. Dock's House
(5:30)  7. Nichtmare Of Fun
(6:52)  8. When
(6:58)  9. Culmination For Now
(5:24) 10. Not Really Gumbo
(5:37) 11. Truth Of Consequence

Donald Edwards is one of those drummers that seem to be taken for granted. He's constantly being called upon to support others, shaping moods and grooves on record for everybody from saxophonist Dayna Stephens to trombonist Conrad Herwig to vocalist Carolyn Leonhart, but he's largely avoided being in the spotlight. He's only released two other leader dates in his two-plus decades as a professional drummer, and both records went largely unnoticed. Now, after serving as a sideman on a half dozen Criss Cross sessions, Edwards is stepping out with his own date for the venerable Dutch label.  Evolution Of An Influenced Mind finds Edwards fronting and backing a fiery quintet of like-minded musicians on a program of original music; ten of the eleven pieces on the album are credited to the drummer, and "When" comes from the pen of the pianist on the date the incomparable Orrin Evans. 

After hearing this material, it's hard to understand why Edwards hasn't occupied the driver's seat more often. Edwards, Evans, and the rest of the cast guitarist David Gilmore, tenor saxophonist Walter Smith III, and bassist Eric Revis aren't known for pussyfooting around, and this music reflects each man's assuredness and strength(s). These qualities can be manifested in edgy post-modern scenarios ("History Of The Future"), frantic burners ("The Essental Passion"), measured swing, and mutable constructs. Tempos aren't always of the metronome busting variety, yet things rarely feel relaxed here; Gilmore's tonal tweaks, Smith's sense of unpredictability, and the fantastic flights undertaken by each of these men see to that. Strict time is occasionally dispensed with, as when Edwards marries his drums to chants ("American Drum Call To Mama"), or when the band visits spiritually-charged material that reaches for a higher plane ("When"), but rhythm remains Edwards' business. Mid-tempo swing fits him like a glove, laid-back funk futurism sounds just fine when he plays it ("Culmination For Now"), and aggressive environments suit him. Edwards may be selfless when he works for others, but this man has a strong sense of self that shines through on Evolution Of An Influenced Mind. ~ Dan Bilawsky https://www.allaboutjazz.com/evolution-of-an-influenced-mind-donald-edwards-criss-cross-review-by-dan-bilawsky.php

Personnel: Donald Edwards: drums; Walter Smith III: tenor saxophone; David Gilmore: guitar; Orrin Evans: piano; Eric Revis: bass. 

Evolution Of An Influenced Mind

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