Due to my being a tad forgetful last week, New in Music This Week: September 25th includes an incredible album that should have been part of the September 18th edition. Oh well, nobody’s perfect! (Do you know that reference from a famous Billy Wilder movie?)
My top pick this week is:
JAZZ: CAGED BIRD – Ekep Nkwelle – Mack Avenue Records
There are some artists that come out of the church and those influences stay with them throughout their career. Other artists come out of the church and that informs a lot of their choices.
That second approach is clearly part of singer Ekep Nkwelle’s debut album, Caged Bird.
The title works on two levels. As stated on the press release, Nkwelle was inspired by Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Secondly, the second song on the album is Abbey Lincoln’s Caged Bird. I first heard that song on Lincoln’s1999 album Wholly Earth.
I can hear some of Lincoln in Nkwelle’s performance. I have to imagine she’s been an influence for the young singer.
She possesses a beautiful voice with a little bit of smoke and a whole lot of warmth. She also has real confidence. The album includes Good Morning, Heartache, a song closely identified with Billie Holiday. Of course, the final note on this recording is quite the revelation.
But she makes it all work.
From one Byrd to the Caged Bird, fly high and keep putting out gorgeous music.
Here are the other fine releases that are New in Music This Week: September 25th:
CLASSICAL: MÉMOIRE – Alexandre Tharaud – Warner Classics/Erato
Pianist Tharaud released a memoir, Touché in April. It feels like this collection of short pieces composed by French composers.
They run from François Couperin on one end and Marcel Bitsch, Jean-Michel Damase and others who are more contemporary composers.
Three years ago, I raved about his performances of the Ravel piano concertos. I’m equally enthusiastic about this album.
Buy yourself a bottle of Sancerre. Pour a glass and put on this album. It is my prescription for a way to relax from a stressful day or week.
CONTEMPORARY CLASSICAL: A SOULFUL NEXUS – Akropolis Reed Quintet / Derrick Skye – Bright Shiny Things
I honestly wasn’t sure what genre this album should be in. It’s as much a world music album as it is a contemporary classical one. But in Persian classical music circles, it would be considered classical music. So here it is.
This album, which runs slightly more than 30-minutes, comes from the mind of composer Derrick Skye about whom I’ve written several times.
He continues to impress with this album that is based in the concept of listening. I gave it a good listen. And then a second one.
Why? The element of newness or surprise was removed from the experience and I could listen to A Soulful Nexus completely on its own terms.
The mastery of the Akropolis Reed Quintet is impressive. ARQ is made up of Tim Gocklin on oboe, Andrew Koeppe on bass clarinet, Kari Landry on clarinet, Matt Landry on alto sax and Ryan Reynolds (not the Deadpool actor) on bassoon.
A Soulful Nexus is a richly rewarding album for those willing to explore music and sounds outside their typical choices.
JAZZ: LOST IN GENEVA – The Kris Davis Trio – 4166 Records
I wish I could play like pianist/composer Kris Davis does on this outstanding trio record. Alas, I can dream.
This is a contemporary trio album at its finest. She is joined by Johnathan Blake on drums and Robert Hurst on bass.
Davis composed 9 of the 11 tracks. The remaining two, The Bluesy Bird in Bob’s Backyard and Clues were composed by Hurst and Blake, respectively.
They are so in tune with one another on Lost in Geneva; this is clearly a team effort to realize the 54 minutes of music here.
I plan to make it my mission to see them perform this music at my first opportunity. I’d do the same if I were you.
In the meantime, listen to this extraordinarily good album.
JAZZ: DEDICATED TO YOU – Branford Marsalis Quartet and Dianne Reeves – Blue Note Records
There have been a lot of tributes for John Coltrane’s centennial, but for my money, this is one of the finest.
In 1963 Coltrane teamed up with vocalist Johnny Hartman for one of the best albums ever released. It was simply entitled John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman and featured six tracks beautifully performed.
Saxophonist Marsalis and his quartet have partnered with one of my favorite singers, Dianne Reeves, for an album that honors that 1963 album with new interpretations of the six songs on that album. They also offer six additional songs.
The result is simply sublime. But it’s no imitation. These are new arrangements that showcase Reeves at her best with tasty and tasteful playing by Marsalis.
How could I not love an album that features a gorgeous version of my favorite song of all time? Lush Life by Billy Strayhorn.
JAZZ: THE ART OF VOCALESE – Janis Siegel – Origin Records
I’ve been a fan of vocalist Siegel’s singing for quite some time. I have fond memories of listening to her 1987 album At Home . Which was where I most enjoyed hear it – at home.
Siegel was, of course, a member of The Manhattan Transfer beginning in 1972. She remained with them until they retired in 2023.
My favorite Transfer album was 1985’s Vocalese. The album celebrated the lyrics of Jon Hendricks who was a master at putting lyrics to instrumental tracks. That art form is called vocalese. He was also a member of Lambert, Hendricks & Ross.
Siegel’s The Art of the Vocalese features newly discovered lyrics by Hendricks that were written for music composed by Dave Brubeck, Miles Davis, Erroll Garner, Charlie Parker and more.
Pianist and arranger John Di Martino did a great job with these songs as did the other musicians and vocalists that appear on the album.
The Art of Vocalese is a perfect companion piece to the Transfer album. In fact, I listened to them both back-to-back and was thoroughly entertained.
Two years ago, I interviewed Janis Siegel. You can watch that interview HERE.
JAZZ: CONSTELLATIONS AND HEMISPHERES – Wadada Leo Smith – Burning Ambulance Music
I pray that I have the ability to be half as creative with my life as trumpeter/composer Smith is with his. He’s going to be 85 in December and he keeps releasing compelling and thought-provoking music.
This album features music recorded in various configurations from 2017 to 2022.
The album opens with Dark Energy performed with pianist Sylvie Courvoisier and drummer Marcus Gilmore. The second (Lake Tanganyika) and fifth tracks (Meditation on Love) are performed by a sextet that includes Pheeroan akLaff on drums, Brian Jarawa Gray on percussion, Bobby Naughton on vibraphone, Mauro Refosco on percussion and Lamar Smith on guitar.
The fourth track, Deep Canyons on Mars, features akLaff, Melvin Gibbs on bass, Bill Laswell on bass and Naughton.
The third, and longest track, Dark Matter, Particles of Light, Mirror of the Unseen includes all nine musicians.
This is a spacy album (I mean that as high praise) and one that allowed me to let go and just be at one with the music. I suggest you do the same and enjoy.
MUSICALS: RISE UP! HAMILTON: THE ANTHOLOGY – Multiple Artists – Rhino Entertainment and Atlantic Records
This is the perfect gift for anyone who lives and breathes Lin-Manuel Miranda’s blockbuster musical.
The box sets come in 7-LP and 5-CD configurations. Here’s what you get:
The complete Original Broadway Cast Recording and The Hamilton Mixtape. That’s the first six albums.
The final album offers the Hamildrops series of recordings from artists such as Sara Bareilles, the Decemberists, Mobb Deep, Ben Platt with Miranda and more. Even Barack Obama makes an appearance on one of the tracks.
A bonus 7” vinyl offers the 2025 Tony Awards performance celebrating the show’s 10th anniversary. There’s also a demo of My Shot performed by Miranda. There’s also assorted memorabilia and an 80-page book.
Was it too much for me? I didn’t go back and listen to the material I knew, but was delighted to experience the Hamildrops which I hadn’t heard.
History has had its eyes on Hamilton for quite some time. For many fans the OBCR, that would be enough. But die-hards will find themselves both helpless in trying not to purchase this box set but will certainly be satisfied for having done so. This is Hamilton Non-stop.
VINYL REISSUES:
JAZZ: THE ART OF THE TRIO – SONNY CLARK – Blue Note Tone Poet Vinyl Series
I love Clark’s playing. Always have. Always will. But this is a unique collection.
In October 1957, pianist Sonny Clark went into the studio with Paul Chambers on bass and Philly Joe Jones on drums. Those tracks were released in 1958. Later that year Clark created another trio with drummer Wes Landers and bassist Jymie Merritt. In December of 1958 Clark went back in the studio, this time with Chambers and Landers.
The music from all those sessions has been remastered for this two-LP set. Amongst the tunes performed are Blues in the Night, Dancing in the Dark, I Didn’t Know What Time It Is and I’m Just a Lucky So and So.
While some of this material can be found on streaming platforms, this full configuration is not readily available except in this format.
I certainly hope I can get my hands on a copy of this album.
That’s all for New in Music This Week: September 25th.
Enjoy your weekend!
Enjoy the music!
Main Photo: Album art for Caged Bird (Courtesy Mack Avenue Records)