CD Review: Speak Your Truth (Perry Conticchio)

Speak Your Truth
Perry Conticchio
Liven Up Jazz Productions
2005
12 Tracks

With today’s technology allowing just about anyone to record and release music from the comfort of home, you’d think much of what is released would be amateurish to just plain awful. It’s not true. I receive a lot of CD releases in the mail. Most have not been requested by me and almost all come from independent artists who are not particularly famous away from home. I’ve been writing music reviews since the Sixties, and online now for a dozen years. I’m constantly surprised, and very pleasantly, when I open a new release and start listening. In general, the quality of these releases is as good as anything released in earlier years, and some of it is among the best I’ve heard. This brings us to Perry Conticchio’s Speak Your Truth.

Eight of the twelve songs here were composed by Conticchio, and the remaining four are arranged by him. Jazz composition, and to some degree arrangement of jazz works, requires very special skills. Based on this suite of songs, Conticchio has honed his skills well and is a consummate master of his form. Performed by six musicians at the top of their form, these songs are fully rounded and seamless, flowing across the listener with gentle dexterity. The effect is not of a dozen single songs played in isolation but of a full, rich jazz suite that includes all of these songs in just the right sequence.

While saxman Conticchio takes the lead in many of the songs, he also gives his colleagues plenty of room to strut their stuff. The combo at the core of this music is tight and refined with excellent, well-balanced performances by Conticchio on tenor and soprano sax, Rodney Richardson on guitar, Andrew Elliot Cox on acoustic bass, and Lawrence “bubbles” Dean on drums. Joseph Brotherton plays trumpet on two songs and Wayne Wilentz plays piano on two others. The trumpet and piano blend organically into the mix, never sounding extra or added-in. All of this is a tribute to both Conticchio’s skill as an arranger and the talents of the musicians with whom he works.

While it never sounds dated in any way, this music does have an old feel. I’m reminded of the jazz I was buying on albums during the Sixties and early-Seventies. Although the sound of the songs is unified and the set holds together very well, Conticchio seems to have pulled in elements from a number of the jazz variations of mid-century and made musical allusions to several more, creating his own brand of subtle fusion. It’s in his particular blend of styles that this music sounds fresh and new.

Besides Conticchio’s refined sax sound, this release features exceptional playing and outstanding moments featuring the other musicians. There are some impressive solos on bass and drums, cool piano bits, very Wes Montgomery sounding guitar, trumpet that at times takes me back to Bobby Hackett, and much more. Because of these many high points, this music welcomes the close listener who has a taste for excellence in jazz performance. At the same time, this is quiet club-jazz well suited to become background for a quiet meal and conversation or to be played at home while cuddling in front of the fireplace.

While I enjoy listening to this set, I keep thinking how much more enjoyable it would be to walk into a club somewhere and discover Perry Conticchio and the boys on stage. It would be a pleasure to watch such a masterful group of musicians at work. If you can’t make it to a live performance, then this CD is the next best thing.

If you want to learn more about saxman Perry Conticchio, go to PerryConticchio.com. If you go to the Speak Your Truth page, you can hear samples of four of the songs on this release.

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CD Review: At Ease with Coleman Hawkins (Coleman Hawkins)

At Ease with Coleman Hawkins
Coleman Hawkins
Moodsville Records
2006
8 tracks

By now, it would seem that the music of tenor saxman Coleman Hawkins (1904 – 1969) would seem somehow quaint or old-fashioned. Instead, this music holds up surprisingly well. Hawkins, whose playing influenced several generations of musicians, not just in Jazz but across the genre gap to include Rock & Roll and pop music, created timeless music that has as much appeal today as when it was first recorded.

For my generation, driving music was and probably is epitomized by John Kay rocking out “Born to be Wild” on the radio. The music on this CD takes a quieter approach, but I drove around for several days with these songs on the CD player. There’s a rhythm in this music and a power that fills the space of the car and carries you along. It may be elements of Hot Jazz or Be Bop that linger in these later recordings by Hawkins or it may be something more subtle, but At Ease with Coleman Hawkins makes very cool music to drive by.

The first track, “For You, For Me, Forevermore” sets the tone for the rest of the album. the song starts off soft and warm with just Tommy Flanagan on piano alternating with Hawkins’ sax. It’s sultry and smooth music made for romance. Out of this warm glow grows something cool and groovy as sax and piano are joined by Wendell Marshall on bass and Osie Johnson on drums. The song takes on a swing that carries the listener along without ever sacrificing the romantic mood set by the opening bars.

It’s difficult to say much more about the remaining seven tracks on this release. Ranging from a quiet lounge-music affect through the Latin swingtime of “While We’re Young” to jazzy blues and close-dancing music and even the almost classical sense of “Poor Butterfly” originally released by The Hilltoppers, these songs all have an intimate feel suitable for a small club or perhaps a romantic couple sharing wine in front of the fireplace.

What impresses most is the grace with which Hawkins releases his notes almost effortlessly. There is a sense that this musician was born with the music inside him and that it just naturally flows from him through his instrument and into the room. The ease with which Hawkins plays makes these performances something very special. The fact that he is supported by three excellent jazzmen enhances his performance to perfection.

While it may serve well as music to drive by, the music on this release is really the stuff of romance. There’s a seductive quality to this music that would make a beautiful backdrop to a romantic evening with a special friend. It has a timeless quality that takes the listener away from the harshness of the real world and into someplace warm and comfortable, perfect for cuddling or for dancing cheek to cheek.

Any jazz fan will want to add this album to his or her collection, but I recommend it for any fan of excellent music of any genre. This is a wonderful set of music that definitely deserved to be re-released.

Beyond the music, this CD includes Ron Eyre’s liner notes from the original album; a brief reflective note by Rudy van Gelder, who was the engineer on the original recording sessions and also made the masters for this CD release; and extensive new liner notes for this release by Zan Stewart. These notes provide an interesting and informative read, filling out the story of both the artist and his music.

To learn more about Jazz legend Coleman Hawkins, go to the Red Hot Jazz website or to Wikipedia.

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