Label: International Anthem, 2022

Personnel - Greg Ward: alto sax; Irvin Pierce: tenor sax; Marquis Hill: trumpet, flugelhorn; De'Sean Jones: flute; Jeff Parker: guitar; Matt Gold: guitar, baby sitar; Joel Ross: vibraphone, marimba; Brandee Younger: harp; Greg Spero: piano; Rob Clearfield: piano; Macie Stewart: violin; Zara Zaharieva: violin; Marta Sofia Honer: viola; Lia Kohl: cello; Junius Paul: double bass, electric bass, percussion; Makaya McCraven: drums, sampler, percussion, tambourine, baby sitar, synths, kalimba, handclaps, vibraphone, wurlitzer, organ.

The finicky drummer and beat inventor Makaya McCraven has been lauded for his exquisite blend of styles, irresistible moods, and melodies that linger, sending the listener to emotional zones both distinctive and appealing. This new record, In These Times, has 11 tunes providing a spotlight for his entrancing rhythms and adroit arrangements, with soul, jazz, funk, and dub rippling across sonic fabrics woven with the help of an all-star ensemble.

The title track incorporates an audio excerpt from the Studs Terkel Radio Archive, setting ostinatos against one another before unifying them into a beautiful melody complemented with a phenomenal beat, sweeping harp, and bowed cello. The triple meter flow occasionally shifts to 6/8, and a soulful saxophone solo finds its way to pleasant emotion.

A wide variety of pulses are offered, and if “The Fours” discloses an intense foreign flavor by virtue of stringed instruments and odd, looping rhythms founded on deep and wet drum sounds, then “High Fives”, delivered in five, adds bass sounds and textural guitar for a richer tissue. In contrast, the polyrhythmic “Seventh String” has the soaring flute lines of De'Sean Jones creating contrast with McCraven’s disorienting drumming.

No element feels forced or inappropriate, and “This Place That Place” proudly invests in both fragmentation and coordination, stressed under a peculiar swinging vibe. The easterner “So Obuji” and the regularly riffing “The Title” boast a strong dub feel that gets mixed with soul elements, whereas the boom-bap/boom-boom-bap sequence of “The Knew Untitled” entices the guitarist Jeff Parker for a skillful improvisation pelted with bluesy licks.

McCraven’s elocution is clean, precise, and confident, reaching expressions that practically demand to be heard and felt. This is an album that is alive with revelatory emotion and a tonal quality that reveals a serious commitment to his message and art.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - In These Times ► 02 - The Fours ► 10 - The Knew Untitled

Label: Blue Note Records, 2021

Personnel - Dr. Lonnie Smith: Hammond B-3 organ; Jonathan Kreisberg: guitar; Johnathan Blake: drums; Iggy Pop: vocals; Alicia Olatuja: vocals; John Ellis: tenor saxophone; Sean Jones: trumpet; Jason Marshall: baritone saxophone: Robin Eubanks: trombone.

The primary attraction of Dr. Lonnie Smith’s Breathe is the one-of-a-kind collaboration between the Hammond B-3 specialist and the rock monster Iggy Pop on two tracks, namely Timmy Thomas’ 1972 soul hit “Why Can’t We Live Together” and Donovan’s psychedelia pop-folk brew “Sunshine Superman”.

Immersed in chill-out vibes, the former piece features the soloing capabilities of Smith, who goes strictly bluesy here, and guitarist Jonathan Kreisberg, who showcases all his rich lyricism and phrasal fluidity. They cast a generous light on the tune, despite of Iggy’s lugubrious vocal tone, which is a better fit here than on “Sunshine Superman”, a number that Smith recorded 50 years ago for his album Move Your Hand. The aforementioned pieces bookend a live album that doesn’t reach new heights or even the energy of its predecessor, All in My Mind (Blue Note, 2018). The music on both discs was culled from 2017 performances at Jazz Standard, by the occasion of Smith’s 75th birthday.

The absence of new originals is compensated for with a solo-less and rhythmically syncopated astral-funk take on Monk’s “Epistrophy”. However, two signature Smith compositions, “Bright Eyes” (made known by George Benson) and “Track 9”, are resurrected here with inspired appeal and vivid colors, partly due to the presence of a four-horn frontline that expands the trio format into a pliant septet. “Bright Eyes” relies on a sleek blend of jazz and soul laid down with a triple-metered flow, and becomes jubilant during John Ellis’ tenor improvisation. “Track 9”, in turn, combines a rock-driven rhythm with an open funk feel, having drummer Johnathan Blake probing multiple rhythmic variations and featuring a trio of horn stretches (Ellis, trumpeter Sean Jones and baritonist Jason Marshall).

If Smith demonstrates his soulful command of the blues on “Too Damn Hot”, then on the R&B-infused ballad “Pilgrimage”, he provides vast space for the voice of Alicia Olatuja.

In no way an embarrassment, the album still doesn’t transcend other central works by the organist.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Why Can’t We Live Together ► 02 - Bright Eyes ► 04 - Track 9