April 24, 2013 - 9:36pm
The Liner Notes: A couple of new jazz releases from local acts
BY ADAM DEPOLLO
- EMI
Albums
Grace
J.D. Allen
Savant Records
Detroit native J.D. Allen has been making a name for himself by way of his elegantly complex compositions and his powerful, yet dark and sensual performance on the tenor sax. His latest album, Grace, follows nicely in the footsteps of previous releases with a refined approach featuring beautiful accompaniment by pianist Eldar Djangirov. Particularly on “Selah”, Allen’s group engages in a delicate interplay of voices grounded by an earthy bass line provided by Dezron Douglas.
Chants
Craig Taborn Trio
EMI
U alum Craig Taborn’s newest release showcases a profound level of communication between the pianist, drummer Gerald Cleaver and bassist Thomas Morgan. Featuring complex avant-garde compositions, the trio performs songs ranging from the driving rhythms of “Beat the Ground” to the airy arrangement of “In Chant” with finesse, Morgan’s lines often picking up where Taborn’s left off. You’ll need to listen to this album a few times over to pick up all the nuances of the trio’s performance. Samples of all of the songs are available on iTunes.
Live Music
Unfortunately, there just isn’t much live jazz happening around town this week—or next week for that matter. There is some light at the end of the tunnel, however. On May 4th guitarist Bill Frisell is going to be at the Ark at 8:00 p.m. Although he usually falls under the label of jazz, Frisell’s work doesn’t really fit into a single genre. Whether performing something between bluegrass, folk and jazz on his 2009 album Disfarmer or covering Beatles songs as he did at an NPR Tiny Desk Concert, Frisell plays with a delicacy and sparse approach to soloing that has drawn comparison with the trumpet work of Miles Davis, among others. In an intimate setting like The Ark, this will definitely be a concert worth seeing.
