April 1, 2009

Sonny Rollins: Saxophone Colossus
Acorn Media AMP-8163
Format: DVD-V

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Filmmaker Robert Mugge has been making music documentaries for more than 30 years, and his extensive filmography includes portraits of Sun Ra, Al Green, and Gil Scott Heron, as well as a look at New Orleans musicians affected by Hurricane Katrina and a history of Alligator Records. Saxophone Colossus is a 1986 film about Sonny Rollins that originally aired on BBC 4, and was broadcast in the US on PBS, BET, and Bravo. Rollins opens the film with a discussion of how he prepares for each performance by meditating on what he wants to say musically and "will[ing] the band to sound good." Mugge then segues into nearly 15 minutes of Rollins and his band wailing on an outdoor stage in Saugerties, New York. It’s a stunning example of Rollins’ command of improvisation. Jazz critics Ira Gitler, Gary Giddens, and Francis Davis weigh in, and Rollins himself is articulate and passionate about his art. But it’s when Rollins plays, whether with this group or with a symphony orchestra in Japan, that he most clearly communicates. We see him in Tokyo as he prepares for the premiere of his Concerto for Tenor Saxophone and Orchestra, and that performance comprises nearly half the film. Rollins is engaging, likable, and truly humble, and Saxophone Colossus is an enjoyable look into his life and musical philosophy. The DVD is a clear fullscreen transfer with vivid sound. . . . Joseph Taylor

John Stetch: TV Trio
Brux 14112
Format: CD

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Jazz musicians performing the themes of TV shows is hardly a new idea -- Bill Evans recorded the themes for Little Lulu, M*A*S*H, and I Love Lucy. Canadian pianist John Stetch expands the concept to a full CD, with generally happy results. He displays tremendous technique and interesting musical ideas, and is ably supported by bassist Doug Weiss and drummer Rodney Green. As might be expected, the material is mostly uptempo. Exceptions are the Evans-like Dallas theme, a solo on All My Children, and the CD’s highlight, a gorgeous take on The Mighty Hercules. Other notable tracks are the Love Boat theme in an interpretation reminiscent of Eddie Heywood’s "Canadian Sunset," the jazz workhorse The Flintstones in minor key, and an exuberant gospel solo on Sanford and Son, complete with Keith Jarrett-like bass ostinato and "Baby Elephant Walk" vamp. The sound quality is generally good, although the instrumental balance strongly favors the piano. The beautiful bass introduction to Hercules is diminished by heavy piano arpeggios, and Stetch tends to double the bassist’s lines in octaves. Despite these quibbles, TV Trio is extremely pleasurable listening. . . . Bob Strain

Tom Rush: What I Know
Appleseed APR CD 1115
Format: CD

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It’s easy to linger on "River Song," one of Tom Rush’s best compositions ever, from his new CD, What I Know. Calmly played and sung, catchy and rhythmic without being simplistic pop, it captures a reverence for life without resorting to easy cliché. The title song, one of the other four originals here, is also very good. A couple of his others, frivolous but peppy, seem intended to show that Rush is a fun guy, whereas "what he knows" includes some insights into the public matters songwriters have long addressed. The many songs by others are more personally oriented, of high quality, and thoughtfully selected and performed; the only traditional ballad, "Casey Jones," gets a solid arrangement. Rush has recorded and performed since the early 1960s and has maintained his singing voice beautifully. It and the many backup instruments are nicely recorded -- lots of crisp guitar, and you can tell that Dave Pomeroy’s upright bass isn’t electric. What I Know makes a great introduction to a stalwart musician who hasn’t always gotten his due. . . . David Cantor

Justin Townes Earle: Midnight at the Movies
Bloodshot BS 160
Format: CD

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I imagine that if you’re the son of Steve Earle, who named you after Townes Van Zandt and raised you within a stone’s throw of the Grand Ol’ Opry, you might find the expectation and pressure to be a stellar musician a mite overwhelming. Yet Justin Townes Earle stepped up to the plate last year with his well-received debut album, The Good Life, and just one year later hits a home run with Midnight at the Movies. Most of these songs are original compositions with a vintage quality that makes me wonder if Earle found some long-lost notebooks in his daddy’s attic, but their authenticity is unfeigned, and the singer’s twangy Southern swagger seems to come naturally. The disc is dominated by love songs peppered with sarcasm and self-reliance, while Earle’s voice is gloriously honky-tonk hip. "What I Mean to You" shuffles along with a vocal reminiscent of Dan Hicks, and "They Killed John Henry" is a gem, a study in American roots in which Earle risks writing new verses for the old folksong while still praising the endurance of hard-workin’, steel-drivin’ men. The album’s heartbreaker is "Mama’s Eyes," with Earle paying tribute to his father but admitting "we don’t see eye to eye," and crediting his mother, Carol Anne Earle, for having ultimately raised him and done it right. Midnight at the Movies may have an as-yet-unknown cast of musicians and have been produced well under the Nashville radar, but it’s the kind of surprise that comes from behind to finish first. . . . Shannon Holliday

Matthew Montfort: Seven Serenades for Scalloped Fretboard Guitar
Ancient-Future.com AF 2008
Format: CD

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Matthew Montfort is a member of the world-music ensemble Ancient Future, who market their projects through Ancient-Future.com. He studied the music of India with master musicians from that country, and has adapted it for a version of the guitar with a scalloped fretboard. Seven Serenades for Scalloped Fretboard Guitar, Montfort’s first solo outing, is a relaxing series of pieces in which the guitarist sustains his ideas with arrangements that include wind instruments, violin, and voice. The best tunes, such as "Guari the Golden" and "Lilalit," are meditative, and allow Montfort to develop improvisations around a central theme. He doesn’t dazzle with quick notes or flashy virtuosity, but lets the music play out in a more considered, deliberative manner. Although at times Montfort veers toward new-age background music ("Michelle’s Star"), and I occasionally wished for a bit more energy, Seven Serenades has a cumulative effect that pulled me in. "Purple Raga," Montfort’s tribute to Jimi Hendrix, is an enjoyable reminder that Hendrix, too, was influenced by Indian and Middle Eastern music. The recording is exceptionally clear and intimate. . . . Joseph Taylor