Mark Keresman, May 2014

Jolie Holland ★★★★★

Wine Dark Sea

Anti

At one time, singers were just that—singers. Performers such as Bing Crosby, Dinah Washington, Kay Starr, and even Elvis Presley recorded songs in a variety of genres. Jolie Hollan

d isn’t exactly in that tradition, but she is an offshoot of it—her music reflects the influences of rock, gospel, jazz, country, blues, soul/r&b, Tin Pan Alley, and the just plain strange. Holland is something of a female counterpart to Los Lobos and Tom Waits, in that she takes hunks of Americana, absorbs their essences and runs them through a zany Rube Goldberg gizmo that spits them out in strange and wonderful ways. “Waiting For the Sun” and “The Love You Save” find Jolie channeling—not imitating or emulating (not that emulation is bad, but I digress)—mid-‘60s Memphis r&b (think Stax Records), oozing a soulfulness that’s timeless and classic but totally her own. Holland’s voice is a singular instrument, cooing poignantly like a cross between Maria Muldaur and a young Aretha Franklin (with touches of jazz singer Mildred Bailey and blues goddess Memphis Minnie) and she can make with a stray-cat yowl, all with feline grace, and often all within the same song. Guitars wail, shimmer, sigh, and grind with the utmost restraint, a violin saws a noir-ish tango, tempos stagger and lurch like guys tumbling out of the tavern after last call—it’s a beautiful mess, much like Life Itself. Holland is in the same league as Waits, Rickie Lee Jones, Randy Newman, and Kevin Coyne, and almost beyond category. Hear her. (11 tracks, 55 min.) anti.com

Jeremy Steig ★★★★★

Flute Fever

International Phonographic Inc.

Jimmy Giuffre 3 & 4 ★★★★

New York Concerts

Elemental

Here’s a couple of sets from (this is “critics’ talk”—indulge me) some neglected masters, a couple that are still with us and one that passed a few years back. Flute Fever ori

ginally came out in 1963 (Columbia Records) and this is its CD debut. Flutist Jeremy Steig was among the earliest fusion pioneers, but before that he wailed on some kick-ass hard bop with pianist Denny Zeitlin (a practicing psychiatrist and still active in both fields), Monk’s drummer Ben Riley, and bassist Ben Tucker. Steig plays in a surging, aggressive, mercurial but flawlessly lyrical manner, playfully over-blowing occasionally. This album was Zeitlin’s debut, and (more critics’ talk) we can hear the promise of greatness here—he displays the drive of Bud Powell and the subtle lyricism of Bill Evans. Fans of Steig, Zeitlin, and jazz flute in general: Essential! (8 tracks, 53 min.) internationalphonographinc.com

The late Texan Jimmy Giuffre was a tenor saxophonist, clarinetist, composer (the Woody Herman hit “Four Brothers”: him), and arranger. His approach to small group jazz in the 1960s did not win him many fans—in fact, he released no music as a leader from 1963 until the early ‘70s. That factoid makes this two-CD set all the more significant, as it presents two live sets recorded in NYC in 1965. Giuffre’s approach to improvisation and group dynamics anticipated both the AACM (Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians, based in Chicago) and the ECM “school” by many years with its quiet, cerebral intensity and classical chamber music-like use of “silence.” The music here—a trio with drummer Joe Chambers and Richard Davis, a quartet with Chambers, pianist Don Friedman, and bassist (and ECM stalwart) Barre Phillips—is often revelatory, as it’s something of a missing link between chamber jazz cool (of which JG was once identified) and the then-controversial free jazz of the mid-‘60s. Not easy listening to be sure, but rewarding all the same. (Release June 14, 2014; amazon.com)

Gene Ludwig-Pat Martino Trio ★★★★★

Young Guns

HighNote

Bruce Barth ★★★★1/2

Daybreak

Savant

To some, the tag “mainstream jazz” can be a euphemism for meat ‘n’ potatoes jazz, stuff that’s fine ‘n’ filling but not too surprising…usually. These platters are, superficially, in that (straight-ahead/post-bop/contemporary-but-not-fusion) mainstream—until you listen. Plenty of surprises—Young Guns is a collection of previously-unissued live material from 1968-9 and it’s something of a revelation. Sure, most hepcats know of the remarkable guitar artistry of Pat Martino, but he really pushes the envelope here. While he’s a disciple of the soulful, lithe style of Wes Montgomery, Martino tosses in some wonderfully weird notes, at times evoking John McLaughlin at his edgiest. While Gene Ludwig is conversant with the popular soul-jazz style of the time, he’s more of a bebop player—which means his organ is rich-sounding but he opts for taking more chances rather than making with the grooves. If you’re a fan of post-bop, early fusion, and soul-jazz guitar, you need this. (7 tracks, 77 min.)

Bruce Barth plays piano in a surging, muscular style à la Herbie Hancock and the late great Jaki Byard, and he’s composed most of the tunes here. What makes Daybreak stand out from the pack is the slightly unusual lineup: Barth’s 88s; Terrell Stafford’s trumpet, and Steve Nelson’s vibes are the front line, with Vincente Archer and Montez Coleman supplying plenty of oomph. Stafford is a joy to hear—unlike some modern brass types, he’s not only absorbed Freddie Hubbard (bristling, fiery, technique to die/kill for) but also Louis Armstrong (sly bending/smearing of notes, tenderness). Nelson’s got that crystal-clear tinkle that he applies with genial warmth and brevity. Each tune is as long as it needs to be and no longer, and the album as a whole has an unforced, vigorous ambiance. (10 tracks, 62 min.) jazzdepot.com

Dolly Parton ★★★★1/2

Blue Smoke

Dolly Records/Sony Masterworks

Kathleen Grace

No Place to Fall ★★★★1/2

Monsoon

Here are a couple of platters that in their own ways stretch the parameters of that notoriously conservative field known as country music. Dolly Parton starred in movies and topped the charts in the 1970s and ‘80s, but in the late ‘90s she veered away from pop-charged country to an acoustic-oriented bluegrass/classic country mix. Blue Smoke is something of a career retrospective—while new, mostly self-penned material, Parton embraces her stylistic diversity. Smoke continues the bluegrass direction of her albums on the Sugar Hill label (“Unlikely Angel,” a lovely version of Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice”) but Dolly delves into spunky roots-y pop (“Lover du Jour,” where she sounds especially coquettish), early ‘70s country (“You Can’t Make Old Friends”), power balladry (“Home,” wherein Dolly meets Toto—which is actually better than it sounds), and gospel (“If I Had Wings”). At age 68, Parton’s distinctive warble is supple and expressive as ever. Don’t let the cheesy, Walgreen’s bargain-bin look of the cover art fool you—Parton is at the top of her game here. (12 tracks, 47 min.) sonymasterworks.com

While she has a background in jazz, Parton is one of the inspirations for Tucson-born LA-based singer Kathleen Grace. Grace sings in a pliant alto with some of the smoky, slightly wispy, improvisational phrasing of jazz legends Helen Merrill and Sheila Jordan. Her versions of Duke Ellington’s “Mood Indigo” and the standard “Blame It On My Youth” approach the mythic excellence of Patsy Cline’s torch-meets-twang approach (with a hint of the buoyancy of Natalie Merchant). Grace and her combo (featuring steel guitar baron Greg Leisz) navigate that it’s-there-but-elusive common ground between forlorn country soul, honky tonk bounce, and elastic jazz balladry. She’s something special, someone to watch. (10 tracks, 48 min.) kathleengrace.com

Dave Keller ★★★★

Soul Changes

Red River

To some degree, the Southern R&B tradition is an endangered species—while Rev. Al Green is still out there testifying, many of the old masters (Solomon Burke, to name one) are passing on and let’s face it, this is a world of Rhianna, R. Kelly, and Nelly. But fellers like Dave Keller (along with Otis Clay) are keeping the flame burning—in fact, half of Soul Changes features many of the same musicians that backed Green, Isaac Hayes, and Ann Peebles on their classic 1970s sides. Changes oozes that gospel-laced Memphis sound, full of plush organ, blues-charged horns, sharp, terse guitar licks, and warmly engaging melodies. Keller sings with unforced soulful conviction and down-home storyteller delivery, occasionally sounding a bit like pre-disco-era Boz Scaggs. While he doesn’t add to the tradition, Keller does it proud and this platter feels as filling as a chicken-fried steak dinner. (11 tracks, 44 min.)