March round-up

Not to be confused with Lonnie Liston Smith (though it’s often and easily done), B3 hammond organist Dr Lonnie Smith returned to Blue Note in 2016, after 45 years. On All In My Mind he continues to evoke the glory days with the classic organguitar-drums line-up, adding singer Alicia Olatuja on the funky title track. Recorded live, the session ranges from exciting workouts like ‘Alhambra’ and ‘Juju’ to sumptuous readings of Tadd Dameron’s ‘On a Misty Night’ and the lovely ‘Devika’.

(Blue Note 672 1872 ★★★★)

The disc 1970 is by the bassplayer Avishai Cohen (not the trumpeter with the same name). Cohen made his international reputation with Chick Corea, worked with Bobby Mcferrin, Roy Hargrove and Herbie Hancock among others, and had a fine group of his own. Unfortunately, it is hard to place which jazz genre this new album, 1970 comes under. Spotlighting Cohen’s singing more than his bass playing, it’s all impeccably performed and painstakingly produced, but it strikes me as rather bland commercial popular music. I hate to be negative, and 1970 has its moments, particularly on ‘Motherless Child’ and the traditional Israeli songs, but I regret it does little for me. (Sony 88985462022 ★★★)

Like the Cohen album, The

Hands is not for purists, but it’s out on the other side, where free jazz collides with extreme metal genres. Swedish trio FIRE!, comprising the fearsome saxophonist Mats Gustafsson, bassist Johan Berthling and percussionist Andreas

Werliin, has been compared (wrongly in my view) to guitar-led rock trios of the late 1960s such as Cream and the Jimi Hendrix Experience. A more apt comparison is with the work of saxist Peter Brötzmann and guitarist Bill Laswell, whose ferocious 1987 recording Low Life is a free jazz landmark. The Hands is Fire!’s sixth release and it continues to fan the flames of the Scandinavian trio’s explosive soundworld. (Rune Grammofon RCD 2197 ★★★★)

Although they formed in 2014 I confess I was unfamiliar with Blicher Hemmer Gadd, though

I’m well acquainted with drummer Steve Gadd’s work with numerous jazz, rock and pop stars. Like the Lonnie Smith album, Omara recalls those splendid organ trios of the 1950s and ’60s, this time with saxophone instead of guitar. If there’s nothing likely to surprise you or scare the horses, there are plenty of satisfyingly soulful solos on tightly constructed, down-home tunes. (C-nut 09 ★★★★)

To quote Ronnie Scott, ‘what a galaxy of talent!’. Over its three discs Oscar, With Love features far too many distinguished pianists to list here, but among them are Chick Corea, Renee Rosnes,

Michel Legrand, Hiromi, Monty Alexander and Kenny Barron playing, mostly solo, tunes either written by Oscar Peterson himself, including civil rights anthem ‘Hymn to Freedom’, some recorded here for the first time or written in tribute to him, such as Corea’s ‘One for Peterson’.

Peterson’s dazzling digital dexterity and teeming imagination as an improviser make us overlook what a fine composer he was. The crisply recorded discs are housed in a hardback book packed with fascinating photos and tributes from the pianists featured. An absolute must-have for Peterson fans, but also a pretty good overview of the best in modern mainstream jazz piano.

(Two Lions MAC1134ST ★★★★)