Australian HiFi – May 2019

MahavishnuOrchestra

BirdsofFire(SpeakersCornerLP)

JohnMcLaughlinis theguitarist’s

guitarist.Hisfirstincarnationof this

renownedbandhadJerryGoodmanon

violin,RickLairdonbass,JanHammer

(KeithJarrett)onkeysandBillyCobham.

This 1973 releasebecamethefirst

jazzrockinstrumentaltomakeit into

Billboard’sTop 20 rockalbumlist.

SpeakersCornerhasnowreissuedit

andthesonicintensityandimprobable

genreblendingis as compellingnowas it wasthen.McLaughlinand

Goodmansetupa deepgrooveonthetitletrackas JMunleashesa

piercing,high-volumesolo.Thefusion-basedtempois hypnotic.The

tributetojazziconMilesDavis(MilesBeyond) is a groove-fest.Jarrettlays

downsoulfulhooksonelectricpianoas thebandentersin full,cohesive

modebeforeMcLaughlinunleashesa ‘machine-gun’solo.Thesonic

explosivenessof hisguitaris capturedin allitsdistortedgloryandthe

ear-splitting,incendiarypowerof thebandis spellbinding.RobbieGerson

stephancruMp

Outliers(PapillonSoundsPS91899)

BassistStephanCrumphascreated

somethingimpressiveandinimitable

withhisRosettaTrio.It’sanall-string

jazzband—nodrums,keyboards,reeds

orhorns—justCrumponacousticbass,

LibertyEllmanonacousticguitarand

JamieFoxonelectric. The48-minute

Outliers(CD,Download,& LP)shows

thetriofocusedondeliveringeclectic

andfluentjazz.Thetunes(allbyCrump)

mayremindsomelistenersof BillFrisell.Synapsefeaturesfast-strummed

guitarnotesfrombothEllmanandFoxwhileAwayFrom,A WayTowas

initiallya tuneforbass,drums,saxandpiano.Thisadaptationis slower,

obviouslymoreacousticandemphasisesa rustic-limnedmelodicism

whichechoessomeof Metheny’smainstreammusings.TheCD/digital

albumincludesanextra:EsquimaDream. If youthinkanall-stringtrio

mightbelimitingin a jazzcontext,giveOutliersa spin.DougSimpson

MiltJacksOn

Ballads&Blues(SpeakersCornerLP)

LegendaryvibraphonistMilt‘Bags’

Jacksonperformedin variousjazzgenres

withDizzyGillespie,WoodyHerman,

TheloniousMonkandCharlieParker

butis probablybestrememberedas a

founderof theModernJazzQuartet.

Herehe’sjoinedbyhisbandmatesfrom

MJQLuckyThompson(sax),guitarists

BarneyKessel,BarryGalbraithand

SkeeterBestplusOscarPettifordand

LawrenceMarable.It openswithColePorter’sKissMeKate, afterwhich

TheseFoolishThingsbeginswithKessel’slaid-backguitarlicks.Whenthe

tempotakesanuptick,it becomesa classic‘Bags’swingnumber,ear-

catchingandspontaneous.DukeEllington’sbluesySolitudeis arranged

withmeticulousdetailwhileTheSongIs Endedis pure,unadulterated

swing.Jackson’ssoloingis breathlessin itstechnicalproficiencyand

rhythmicprominence,butthegreatestjoythatthey’reallsomusically

tight:theirnuancedchemistryis flawless,andthecallandresponse

betweensaxophoneandvibraphoneuplifting.RobbieGerson

DaviD linDley

El Rayo-X (Speakers Corner LP)

David Lindley is a legendary session

musician, a distinguished multi-

instrumentalist who’s worked for Jackson

Browne, James Taylor, Bruce Springsteen,

and Bob Dylan. In 1981 he formed

the musically eclectic band, El Rayo-X,

which embraced a world sound that

incorporated reggae, blues, rock, soul,

Cajun, Middle Eastern, and traditional

folk. Nearly four decades later, the

creative musical vision of this unique musician is visceral. With a Who’s

Who of backing musicians, Lindley brings his humour-laced template

to life from the slightly off-kilter reggae/ska number She Took Off My

Romeos to a version of Bye Bye Love as a slow funky Jamaican/Zydeco

groove. Then there’s Mercury Blues, Quarter of a Man, Ain’t No Way, and

more, but it’s a Lindley original, Pay the Man, that steals the show. El

Rayo-X was one of the greatest albums to emerge from the 80s, and this

180-gram vinyl re-master gives it new life. Robbie Gerson

JOhn hicks

HellsBells(PurePleasureRecordsLP)

JohnHicks,whodiedin 2006,stands

proudlyin thepantheonof greatjazz

pianistsbutdespitehavingplayedwith

greatssuchas ArtBlakeyandArchie

Shepp,hehadlimitedcommercial

success.Hisstyleincorporatedelements

of swing,bopandavant-garde.ThisLP

re-masteris of analbumherecorded

withClintHouston(doublebass)and

CliffBarbara(drums).It openswith

Barbaro’stitlecut.Hicksstartswitha classicalflourish,accompanied

bya stylisticboweddoublebassbyHouston.Thenthetrioshiftsto

a syncopatedcooljazzrhythmthatmorphsintoa snappy3/4time

signature.Hicks’firstsoloutilisesstrongchordingandnotationwith

a significantdegreeof complexity.Hicks’ownAvojcais a grittyurban

vamp.ThemanyshiftingmoodsonthisLPunderliethecompositional

integrityof thisgreatmusician. RobbieGerson

paul DesMOnD

Easy Living (Speakers Corner LSP-3480)

The gorgeous tone produced by

saxophonist Paul Desmond was once

famously compared to a dry martini.

He was a master of the altissimo

register on the alto sax and his playing

always seemed effortless, most famously

with Dave Brubeck. His composition

Take Five is possibly the best-known

jazz composition ever. This album,

recorded with cool-toned guitarist

Jim Hall, first issued in 1966, was recorded using three different bass

players over a three year period but the drummer on all the sessions

was MJQ’s Connie Kay. All the songs are well-known standards, with

the exception of Blues for Fun. On When Joanna Loved Me, which

opens Side 1, Paul’s breathy, velvety tone is fully on display while Hall

takes a great solo on That Old Feeling. The ‘floating on air’ quality

of Desmond’s playing is intoxicating, especially on Polka Dots and

Moonbeams and Here’s That Rainy Day, but just listen to his playing on

I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face and Bewitched! Jeff Krow

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