Garry Booth’s selection features creative combos and tributes to a jazz master
May round-up
Hotel San Claudio is a forwardlooking tribute to Pharoah Sanders from pianist and DJ Mark de Clive-lowe. Unlike his 2022 septet celebration of Sanders’s compositions (Freedom), which was fronted by saxophonist Teodross Avery and soulful vocalist Dwight Trible, the clubby, nu-jazz sound here is provided by rising Blue Note vocalist/flautist Melanie Charles and electronic artist/ drummer Shigeto. The trio creates an otherworldly, zero-gravity atmosphere for Charles’s driving vocalese and flute improvisation. It’s blissful music that would have brought a smile to Sanders’s usually sphinx-like countenance. (Soul Bank Music SBM 004CD)
When the Philharmonie de
Paris asked Brad Mehldau to do a Beatles-only set in 2020, the pianist was a little apprehensive. But preparing for it turned out to be the perfect lockdown project. Mehldau says he chose some favourite Mccartney-influenced pieces, mainly for their subtle harmonies; particular songs were picked because he likes their ‘frumpy strangeness’. On the resulting Your Mother Should Know, Mehldau’s deliberate, gently swinging-thenfaltering take on ‘Maxwell’s Silver Hammer’ is a case in point. Fans of both Macca and Mehldau might also recognise a shared fondness for happy/sad emotions in ‘Your Mother Should Know’ here. On the psychedelic number ‘She Said She Said’ its signature rhythmic lurches are plainly delineated by Mehldau in a rippling three minute, miniature version. (Nonesuch 075597907407)
Like Brad Mehldau, Rymden pianist Bugge Wesseltoft has a free-ranging interest in jazz form and format. For this maximalist concert, the trio attached itself to Norway’s adventurous national radio orchestra KORK, performing ten pieces written by the trio members and scored by six different arrangers. In numbers like ‘Pitter Patter’ the trio sound is a burning core fanned by blazing brass; ‘Rak’ opens with thundering drums and exotic percussion before morphing into a cinematic, keyboard-led fusion work-out. An impeccable live recording, Rymden + KORK is an example of third stream music at its exhilarating, synergistic best. (Jazzland Recordings 3779512)
The Italian drummer Enzo
Zirilli has two favourite guitar players – Rob Luft and Alessandro Chiappetta – so in 2013 he daringly formed Zirobop a quartet featuring both of them. It was a smart move that he built on by adding swinging bassist Misha Mullov-abbado. Together they have a bright, instantly likeable sound somewhat akin to a rock band, spinning off melodic pieces by maestros including Jarrett, Monk and Rollins for this third album, Ten Past Never. The group’s sparkling take on Steve Swallow’s number ‘Ladies In Mercedes’ opens an hour’s worth of sophisticated music made to sound totally effortless. (Ubuntu Music UBU 0128)
Singer Jo Lawry is a jazz natural but is kept busy supporting rock galacticos such as Sting. She arrived at the concept for Acrobats by asking herself, what’s the hardest thing I could do? Answer: a trio album with just voice, bass (Linda May Han Oh) and drums (Allison Miller). It turned out to be a brilliant creative gambit and across a mostly standard programme, her cool vocal agility is set free, buoyed by imaginative, ‘always on’ accompanists. It aptly embodies the key elements of balance, risk and mutual trust at work – let’s hope a follow-up is not far behind.