JazzTimes – October 2019

ding on “Oh Molly Dear,” gets Tw i n
Peaks-y on “Dark Was the Night –
Cold Was the Ground,” serves up hard
bop, dabbles in avant country jazz, and
parodies “Walk on the Wild Side” on
“Where’s Lou Reed.” His versatility
comes to full fruition on the set’s first
track, 1991’s “March of the Vipers,”
which runs from skronk and Air-style
avant-garde to New Orleans sec-
ond-line. His liner notes are similarly
wide-ranging—on one hand paying
tribute to Jaki Byard, Mary Lou Wil-
liams, and an obscure cabaret singer;
on the other taking swipes at his one-
time collaborator Don Byron, Trump
voters, and his former home state of
Maine. But the most unexpected thing
across these eight CDs? The tender
and soulful tenor-sax reading he gives
“Stars Fell on Alabama” (titled simply
“Stars Fell” here) in a 1985 recording.
It’s as sincere as it is beautiful. ”
STEVE GREENLEE

REMY LE BOEUF

Light as a Word
Le Boeuf

For Remy Le Boeuf ’s debut as a leader,
after four well-received recordings
with identical twin brother Pascal, the
alto saxophonist fronts a tight-knit
ensemble for a set of originals that are
uniformly resonant and appealingly
rangy. The group comfortably occupies
diverse terrain: the soaring melo-
dies, flickering rhythms, and vaguely
Americana-ish strains of “Mirrors
in Your Eyes” as well as the delicacy
of “Union,” a ballad penned for his
sister’s wedding.
Le Boeuf ’s explorations are ably
abetted by second saxophonist Walter
Smith III on tenor, a dynamic rhythm
section—regular collaborators Matt
Brewer on bass and Peter Kronreif on
drums, plus pianist Aaron Parks—
and, on two tracks, guitarist Charles
Altura. The latter shines particularly
with a bracing extended improvisation
on “Imperfect Paradise,” a color-shift-
ing fusion piece undergirded by
Fender Rhodes.
Miniatures, like the gorgeous
unaccompanied alto pieces “Bloom”

ments and the seamlessly executed

playing. Twenty-first century big-band

music doesn’t get more exciting and

impressive than this.

Among the pieces from outside

sources, the Egberto Gismonti tune

“Sanfona” is a particular highlight,

gliding easily between divergent

tempos; Phil Chester’s sweet and sassy

soprano saxophone solo is punctuated

by unexpected bursts from the other

horn players. The originals show that

Palermo has learned well from the

masters. Opener “Laurie Frink,” dedi-

cated to the late trumpeter, gets things

off to a swinging start, while “Like

Lee Morgan” gives one of the band’s

current trumpeters, John Bailey, an

opportunity not to mimic Morgan but

to honor him in his own way. Two ten-

or saxists, Bill Straub and Ben Kono,

nod similarly to Trane in an uptempo,

electrifying “Giant Steps.” Ain’t noth-

ing lousy at all about this one.

JEFF TAMARKIN

and “Union Intro” and the solo-pia-

no tune “Vista Hermosa Intro,” abut

compositions that are expansive and

feel almost cinematic. The ambling,

then explosive “The Melancholy

Architecture of Storms,” written with

poet Sara Pirkle Hughes, is driven by

cross-cutting sax lines, while “Vista

Hermosa (for Jon and Brian),” inspired

by Brian Blade & the Fellowship Band,

rises and falls on surging and receding

horns as it glides forward, making

room for searching, melodic solos by

Parks and the saxophonists. The title

track, similarly evocative and fueled

by understated bolero rhythms, offers

more well-used solo space.

A kind of lightness, a musical grace-

fulness and openness, infuses much

of the music on Light as a Word. But

artistic intensity is never far away.

PHILIP BOOTH

THE ED PALERMO

BIG BAND

A Lousy Day in Harlem

Sky Cat

There’s often a note of humor in

the titles and artwork of arranger/

saxophonist/composer Ed Palermo’s

recordings (The Great Un-American

Songbook featured several British

Invasion-era tunes), and this one is no

exception: The cover of A Lousy Day in

Harlem plays off of the classic 1958 Art

Kane photograph of 57 jazz musicians

gathered in front of a Harlem brown-

stone, with Palermo in front of the

same building, alone and forlorn.

But that’s where the funny stuff

ends; when Palermo gets down to

arranging music, he’s dead serious.

Unlike previous efforts from him that

focused largely on a single com-

poser (more often than not Frank

Zappa), this program roams widely.

A couple of the numbers—Monk’s

“Well You Needn’t” and Gigi Gryce’s

“Minority”—come from musicians

who appeared in that 1958 photo; the

rest are either Palermo originals or

interpretations of pieces both con-

temporary (Renee Rosnes) and classic

(Ellington). Throughout, there’s a

uniformity in the airtight arrange-

“The crackling intensity of One Night At Chris’ is a testament

to what can happen on the bandstand on any given night.

And this was a particularly good night indeed.”

Bill Milkowski

AVAILABLE AT AMAZON, ITUNES AND CDBABY

DAVEWILSONMUSIC.ORG FACEBOOK.COM/DAVEWILSONQUARTET

One Night at Chris’ is the The Dave Wilson Quartet’s

fifth release, recorded live at the famous Chris’ Jazz

Cafe’in Philadelphia, PA in March of 2018.

The disc contains 10 tracks, four originals and six

uniquely creative arrangements of pop rock favorites

including The Grateful Dead’s “Friend Of The Devil”,

The Beatles’ “Norwegian Wood,” Creed’s “My Own

Prison,”Ambrosia’s “Biggest Part of Me,” and

The Beach Boys’ “God Only Knows.”

Dave Wilson is a saxophonist, composer, educator &

recording artist in the Central PA/Mid Atlantic area.

He performs at venues &festivals in the area &beyond

as a leader and sideman.

DAVE WILSONtenor and soprano saxophonesKIRK REESEpiano

TONY MARINOacoustic bassDAN MONAGHANdrums