Robin Trower, Andrew Green and Brian Charette are part of the latest edition of Five for the Road, an occasional look at music that’s been in my car lately …
BRIAN CHARETTE – LIKE THE SUN (JAZZ): Repeated listening of Brian Charette’s Like the Sun still left me with a few questions. This New York City-based organist has a long string of professional accolades in the jazz world. Known as a master of the Hammond B3, Charett’s discography is long and distinctive. But Like the Sun is something a little different, as Brian Charette mixes electronica with his organic organ sound. The combination of sounds is melodic and inviting. For instance, the roots of songs like “Time Piece” are electronic, but the musical core engages with both electronic drums and bass Hammond touches. Like the Sun was written in the early days of the lockdown, and highlights a new turn in Charette’s recording career. Would a song like “From Like to Love” have been created by Charette but for the pandemic? I don’t know but I know this project, which all but defies characterization, deserves to be heard.
MARBIN – RUSSIAN DOLLS (JAZZ): Chicago-based sax player Danny Markovitch delivers what is essentially his first solo work with Russian Dolls. Teaming Markovitch with renowned drummer Antonio Sanchez and Marbin bandmate and jack-of-all-trades Dani Rabin, Marbin delivers seven songs combining Israeli folk, tango, and jazz – each one of which is as intriguing as the others. Russian Dolls was written and recorded at the start of the pandemic, emerging as something both intimate and personal. “The Great Rosegray,” my favorite song from the album, evokes western Europe and Spain all at once. The interwoven multi-tracked sax is pleading and yet retrained. “Things of Dry Hours” is passionate and familiar, yet straightforward. Marbin’s new album recalls the reunion of two old lovers separated by time and space. The joining that results is utterly satisfying and natural.
ROBIN TROWER, MAXI PRIEST AND LIVINGSTON BROWN – UNITED STATE OF MIND (ROCK/R&B): United State of Mind is a very apropos title for this unlikely uniting of British music titans. Livingston Brown, an iconic session player, producer and engineer seems to have been the common connection between Robin Trower, a famed blues guitarist and Maxi Priest, a renowned reggae singer. The trio produces a surprisingly soulful collaboration which seems the have invigorated each of them. This is not just a paint-by-numbers all-star outing, as songs like “Are We Just People” and the title song demonstrate. Robin Trower continues at the top of his game with evocative blues leads and chunky rhythm licks. Priest supplies wide-ranging R&B-inflected vocals, powering fully socially conscious lyrics while Brown’s arranging and multi-instrumental contributions are the icing on a near-perfect cake.
FUNKY DESTINATION – ROOTS PEOPLE (FUNK/R&B): Usually artists this deep into their career begin to coast, but after six albums Funky Destination’s Vladimir Sivc seems more invigorated than he has any right to be. The Croatian-based producer combines old-school funk and loose and lively R&B grooves to hit the listener non-stop with 14 irresistible grooves. The title track kicks things off in high gear with a percussive blend of electronics and Afro beats. By the time you get to “Afro Booga-Choo Choo Train,” you’ll notice your body moving and a smile on your face. This isn’t high-falutin’ stuff; it’s just good music.
ANDREW GREEN – DIME DANCING: THE MUSIC OF STEELY DAN (JAZZ): After the death of Steely Dan co-founder Walter Becker, I was comfortable walking away from the band’s music. How many times can you listen to Aja and debate the merits of Steve Gadd’s drum solo? When I saw Andrew Green: Dime Dancing: The Music of Steely Dan, I immediately tossed it in my recycle bin. Do I need an interpretation of songs which were near perfect to begin with? Upon second thought, I thought, why not listen? I’m glad I did. The New York-based guitarist didn’t cut corners with his arrangements. As a result, each of the eight interpretations are daring, and more often than not are successful. Green uses his considerable musical gravitas to invite some heavy-hitting jazz colleagues to the project. Featured vocalist Miriam Waks provides fantastic interpretations of Donald Fagen’s originals (sorry, no “Slang of Ages” here). Green gets off to a strong and unusual start with “Black Cow” – a sassy and determined highlight, sung with Waks’ distinctive powerful style and supported by a string ensemble – then Dime Dancing never looks back. Perhaps my favorite cut is “Any World (That I’m Welcome To),” where a salsa vibe, strings, acoustic guitar and bass feels more Cuban than New York. The song is almost a joyous celebration of being a misfit. Fans of Walter Becker and Donald Fagen owe it to yourselves to give Andrew Green’s Dime Dancing: The Music of Steely Dan a try. If you want challenging and inspired jazz to listen to during these strange times, this is something you should own.
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