JAM: August/September 2006 Issue: For the Record

Heat Index
Ebullitious
Sizzlin' Music – 2005

Personnel: David Parsley, tenor sax, straight tenor sax, soprano sax, and vocals; Clint Ashlock, trumpet, flugelhorn, and vocals; Rick Gibson, electric guitar and vocals; Jay Pfeifer, keyboards; Frank Goddard, electric bass guitar and vocals; Doug Gunn, drums, percussion, and vocals.

Tracks: The Dancer, Five Day Road Trip, Gloria's Walk, A Woman's Worth, Frak-A-Tak, Keep That Same Old Feeling, Groovin', Whoopin' It Up, Watermelon Man, Oui Oui Si.

Tracks recorded by Kipton Blue and Culture House Studios in Overland Park , KS . Produced: Rick Gibson and Frank Goddard. Engineered: Kipton Blue.

Ebullitious is defined as effervescent or an unrestrained expression of emotion. Heat Index's newest release definitely metes out ebullition. Whether interpreting other's music or performing their original compositions, Heat Index overflows the boundaries with their expression of emotion and gives each track a deep feeling and flavor all its own.

With band members from both coasts, Tennessee , Colorado , Missouri , and Kansas , the six members of Heat Index now call the Greater Kansas City area home and have infused the jazz scene with a mixture of West Coast drive, New York funk, and Midwestern jazz. Formed in 2002 by a handful of veteran professional musicians, Heat Index strives for the tradition of Grover Washington, Jr. and The Jazz Crusaders, but twists it with an original jazz funk bend. Since their inception, Heat Index has garnered critical acclaim and has held regular spots in the clubs throughout Kansas City and has played at numerous jazz festivals and special events. If you haven't yet allowed a performance of Heat Index to grace your presence, then pick up Ebullitious as a perfect introduction.

First up is the original composition “The Dancer.” Jay Pfeifer's mastery of the keyboard is an overt highlight; however, this tune will introduce you to every member of Heat Index with quick solos. Next is the Wayman Tisdale tune “Five Day Road Trip,” which features a short but great Frank Goddard intro whose axe is featured again later along with extremely impressive sax work by David Parsley. This is followed up with another original work by Heat Index, “Gloria's Walk.” Personally, this is the most intriguing and entertaining track on the CD and features more great work by Parsley on the sax coupled with Clint Ashlock's trumpet playing taking over mid-way through.

Starting off with a somber mood, “A Woman's Worth” shows the deep soul and blues talent of Heat Index, expertly mixing in each instrument. “Frak-A-Tak,” another original, will definitely have you boppin' your head and tappin' your toes for days to come with an unforgettable underlying beat. Wayne Henderson's “Keep That Same Old Feeling” starts off with a great intro by Goddard on the electric guitar while “Groovin',” made famous in the late ‘60s by The Young Rascals, will have you longing for a lazy Sunday afternoon with its laid-back sound.

“Whoopin' It Up,” another Heat Index original, has a definitive funk sound to it and contains some impressive axe work by both Gibson and Goddard. Herbie Hancock's “Watermelon Man” is up next and Heat Index has done this jazz master's composition justice. The rising sax notes along with the underlying “clop-clop” beat will have every listener tapping their toes and snapping their fingers along with this one. Wrapping things up is “Oui Oui Si,” the opening of which could start any genre's music from jazz to metal and is a pleasantly surprising ending to this wonderful release. I expected something slow and somber, but this track is filled with energy; one might say it is filled with ebullition.

If you haven't had the pleasure of making it to Jazz in the Woods at Overland Park 's Corporate Woods, The Parkville Jazz, Blues, & Fine Arts Festival, or one of the local jazz clubs, then you are missing out on some great funky jazz riffs. While Ebullitious won't give you the live feel of Heat Index, it will allow you to catch what is surely one of the freshest and most distinctive sounds coming out of the Kansas City jazz scene today.

—Tristan Smith

OJT+B:
Bukeka Shoals with
Ken Lovern's OJT

(Organ Jazz Trio)
Personnel: Bukeka Shoals, vocals; Ken Lovern, Hammond organ; Brian Baggett, guitar; Kevin Frazee, drums.

Tracks: Big Yellow Taxi, ‘T Ain't Nobody's Bizness, Night and Day, Never Can Say Goodbye, Fat Daddy, Middle of the Road, God Bless the Child, Venus, I Loves You Porgy

Recorded, engineered, and mastered by Ryan Kleeman. Produced by Ken Lovern and Ryan Kleeman. Music arranged by Ken Lovern. Vocal arrangement on “Middle of the Road” by Bukeka Shoals. Jazz Daddy Records, 2006.

On track three of this new album, the classic “Night and Day,” Ken Lovern's Organ Jazz Trio (OJT) begins with a melodic tom-tom introduction in which Bukeka Shoals, the featured vocalist on the album, sings a haunting version of a lost first verse from this classic tune. The group's sensitivity to this verse verges on musical theatre with the “tick-tock of the clock” of the verse coming also from the organ and drums. Lovern said that the group tried hard to represent what was happening in the lyrics in the instrumentals that back them. He mentioned imitating the clock's tick tock, and he also spoke of the lost verse.

“You don't usually hear that verse,” said Lovern, “and that adds a lot to that tune.” And the tune is exquisite in its blend of instrumentals and words. This tune represents the album's overall seamless juxtaposition of old and new, classic and pop, and blues and jazz. Plus, it is accessible. Half of the album is jazz standards, and half of the album is pop tunes.

“We tried to take things that folks have been hearing on the radio in the past 30 years,” said Lovern. “I think it is fun to do recent pop music with a jazz treatment.”

Tunes range in genre and feel from the folk tune of the ‘60s, “Big Yellow Taxi,” and the tune Dinah Washington made famous in the ‘50s, “Fat Daddy,” to “Venus” of the ‘80s, and the more standard Gershwin/Hayward tune “I Loves You Porgy” or Holiday/Herzog's “God Bless the Child.”

“It's good-time music,” Lovern said, “music for the people.” This sums up well the appeal of the album, which is jazzy, with numerous great solos by Lovern and guitarist Brian Baggett, but also with an attention to the hard, bluesy groove Bukeka brings to the album. It is a groove complimented well by Lovern's organ work, which is mellow but driving, and always upbeat.

Although the organ trio—with organ, guitar, and drums—is not entirely unique in the jazz world, since groups like Wes Montgomery's had this configuration, Lovern said that adding a singer makes the group unique. Lovern called the combination of an organ jazz trio with a vocalist a “warmer, unique sound.” He added that the bluesy feel of the group, including a dynamic vocalist, has granted a wider appeal in terms of the group's audiences. Speaking of how some audience members are drawn mainly to the human voice, and not to the instrumentalists, and come primarily to hear the singer, Lovern said, “People relate to the singer.” With Bukeka in the line up, Lovern said that more of the mass of his typical audiences seem to stay longer during the breadth of each set. Some people just love a singer, I guess. However, this says a lot for Bukeka's strong vocal presence as well.

Also, the pop element is exciting, and it is a draw. In some ways, bringing contemporary pop tunes into the jazz idiom has become, for some, a lost art. However, guitarist Brian Baggett appreciates this fusion of contemporary music and jazz standards in their sound.

“The distinction…between pop and jazz used to be a fuzzy line,” said Baggett. “It's nice to see people like Ken arrange pop music for jazz trios.”

The OJT+B will hold CD release parties on Fri., Aug. 18, at the Center for Spiritual Living, and Mon., Sept. 25, at Jardine's. Oh, and you can listen to tunes from the album at www.myspace.com/ojtplusb or www.KenLovern.com .

—Kevin Rabas

Karen Blixt
Spin This

Personnel: Karen Blixt, all vocals; Joey DeFrancesco, Hammond B-3 organ, vocals; Russell Ferrante, piano; Frank Martin, piano, Fender Rhodes; Buddy Montgomery, vibes, piano; Bruce Forman, guitar; Derek Oles, acoustic bass; Brian Bromberg, acoustic bass; Troy Lampkins, electric bass; Will Kennedy, drums; Byron Landham, drums; Alex Acuna, drums, percussion; Joe Herbert, cello; Paul McCandless, English horn, bass clarinet, oboe; Sheldon Brown, bass clarinet

Tracks: Swingin' the Blues; Carefully Taught; My Favorite Things; You Don't Know Me; Night and Day; Spin This; It's Over Now (Well, You Needn't); When You're Smiling; Kitchen Blue; Four; I Thought About You; Something So True

Tracks 1, 4, 8, 10: DeFrancesco, B3; Tracks 2, 3, 6, 12: Ferrante, piano; Track 3, 6: Martin, Fender Rhodes; Tracks 4, 5, 10: Martin, piano; Track 11: Buddy Montgomery, piano; Tracks 4, 8: Buddy Montgomery, vibes; Track 1: Bruce Forman, guitar; Tracks 2, 9: Derek Oles, acoustic bass; Track 12: Brian Bromberg, acoustic bass; Tracks 3, 6: Troy Lampkins, electric bass; Tracks 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, 10: Will Kennedy, drums; Tracks 4, 8: Byron Landham, drums; Tracks 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 10, 12: Alex Acuna, percussion; Tracks 5, 7, 12: Alex Acuna, drums; Tracks 5, 12: Joe Herbert, cello; Track 5: Paul McCandless, English horn; Track 7: Paul McCandless, bass clarinet; Track 12: Paul McCandless, oboe; Tracks 5, 7: Sheldon Brown, bass clarinet

If anyone finds my sox, feel free to dispose of them as you see fit (no pun intended). They were blown off recently vis a vis the irreproachable talents of singer/songwriter Karen Blixt, whose first CD, “Spin This,” is one of the freshest, finest, most entertaining vocal jazz expositions I've heard. Confident, comfortable (don't be misled here…she's a risk-taker who reaps big rewards) in excellent voice (with breath I'd kill for), her phrasing is unique although she's angular and imaginative like Sheila Jordan, whose influence she credits in the liner notes.

Granted, the remarkable arrangements, courtesy of pianist/arranger/producer Frank Martin, certainly don't hurt. Can you imagine “Carefully Taught” (the bittersweet ballad Lieutenant Cable sings to his love, Liat, in “South Pacific”) as a bi-tonal dirge, Blixt singing a full step above the underlying I to VII-flat changes? It sounds other-worldly and it is, only in a most positive context.

Opener “Swingin' the Blues,” the Basie/Durham/Hendricks standard, is a fun-filled romp complete with modulations, stop time, pitch-perfect vocalese, and the swinging sustenance of Joey DeFrancesco's B3. All of the trades are outstanding. Note: this disc is replete with choice solos; I'll leave it to you to discover your favorites.

Tired of “My Favorite Things?” Lend an ear to this get-down, 11/8 version – Blixt effortless, articulate, pure, prurient. The Will Kennedy/Alex Acuna interlude will generate some (joyful) grunts. This is the way one's accompaniment should be featured: no gratuitous inserts; turns taken all fit, feel good, fall where they should. A laid back, late-night, last-round feel resonates with “You Don't Know Me. ” This is tender, sweet, no-frills Blixt. Think Jo Stafford.

The incomparable Paul McCandless plays English horn on “Night and Day.” Bass clarinet (Sheldon Brown) and cello (Joe Herbert) contribute, as well as arranger Martin (piano) and Alex Acuna (drums/percussion). The (chord) substitutions are treacherous and tantalizing yet Blixt traverses them – and the intervals – with ease, her outchorus simmering atop a cauldron of bubbling sounds/rhythms. There's another brow-raising, jaw-dropping, head-tilting tick at every turn (of this cylinder).

Title song, “Spin This,” was composed by the aforementioned Martin with Blixt. It's musically clever, lyrically sapient, a funky, free-flowing treatise on today's political climate.

How do two bass clarinetists and a drummer grab you? They are Karen's attendants on “It's Over Now (Well, You Needn't).” I confess, it took several replays before I could snap appropriately throughout but it was such fun listening I didn't mind the challenge. Pay close attention or you'll miss the hilarious 19-second reprise.

Opposites are attractive, e.g. a Louis Prima/Keely Smith-type version of “When You're Smiling” (DeFrancesco plays Louis) followed by the wickedly wordy, wildly-paced “Four,” wherein the time will play tricks on you and only the bold will survive the slippery vocalese hinterland.

“Kitchen Blue,” another innovative Martin/Blixt collaboration where wild notes and colors dissolve into tonic emptiness “…without you, it's kitchen blue,” precedes a hold-your-breath-don't-anybody-move, oh-so-slow, sad, sensual “I Thought About You.” Vibraphonist Buddy Montgomery's piano accompanies Karen on this one and it couldn't sound better.

The closer, Martin/Blixt's “Something So True” with McCandless playing oboe, Herbert, cello – plus rhythm section – is a reflective, contemporary ballad, melodically unconventional as the prose ordains. It strikes me here that I've yet to mention pianist Russell Ferrante, whose sensitive accompaniment and brilliant soloing adds yet another dimension to this already talent-heavy collection. There are several other musicians who deserve the ink; please purchase this compendium and hear for yourself. You may soon find yourself sockless as well.

—Carol Comer

Gary Sivils Jazz Quintet
Forever Took Too Long

Personnel: Gary Sivils, cornet; Paul Smith , piano and keyboards; Bob Bowman, bass; Todd Strait, drums; Bill Caldwell, tenor saxophone; Kim Sivils, piano (track 2); Steve Rigazzi, bass (track 8); Megan Birdsall, vocals (tracks 4, 8, 11).

Tracks: All of You; Save That Time; Falling in Love With Love; A Song for You; Studio Talk; I Fall in Love Too Easily; Forever Took Too Long; Since I Fell for You; Always and Forever; There is No Greater Love; Have I Stayed Too Long at the Fair?

Recorded and Mixed Spring 2006 at Soundtrek Recording Studios, Kansas City , Missouri . Engineers: Ron Ubel, Jeff Schiller, and Grant Schainost.

Veteran KC cornetist Sivils has quickly followed up his Pretty Wild session with another mainstream offering, the thematic Forever Took Too Long. Sivils wears his heart on his sleeve on this selection of tunes about loves and loves lost.

I heard Gil Evans describe how Miles Davis changed the way an instrument was played, changed the sound of the instrument. The Harmon mute was a part of that. Sivils uses that sound throughout, and it continues to be among the most pleasing and expressive sounds in jazz. The first three tracks feature the muted cornet. Russ Long's “Save That Time” is notable among the openers, as it is a moving duet with Gary and his daughter, pianist Kim Sivils. Also noteworthy is Bill Caldwell's tenor on “Falling in Love with Love”, and Paul Smith 's piano propelling this track along as only he can.

Joining Sivils on this recording is the PBT Trio: Paul Smith , Bob Bowman, and Todd Strait . Smith opens “A Song for You” unaccompanied, leading to the first of Megan Birdsall's effective vocals (she is an absolute dynamo on “Since I Fell for You”). Sivils misplaced the mute on “A Song for You”, and the open horn proves to be just as emotive in his hands as the muted one.

Mute returns on “I Fall in Love Too Easily”, which opens with Bob Bowman's bass counterpoint as the only support during the theme. Sivils' ascending scale early in his second chorus is another reminder of the Davis influence. Hard to argue with Mike Metheny's liner note comment that Bill Caldwell is “the best tenor saxophonist on the planet that not enough people know about”: his solo on this ballad is the evidence. Paul Smith 's melodic invention is apparent in his statement.

Time for a swinger and “Forever Took Too Long” is the up-tempo blues we were looking for. Sivils (muted), Caldwell (hot), and Bowman (yes, a bass can talk) all solo before Smith and Todd Strait exchange fours before the band takes it out.

Pat Metheny's ballad “Always and Forever” is a leading candidate to be a tune that will be a jazz standard in the next generation. Sivils plays it on the open horn. Bowman and Caldwell also get their turns on this tune. Do I hear some Smith's synth strings here? They work. The opening five note phrase of the melody will be running through my head for days.

“There is No Greater Love” will get the blood flowing again: Strait's opening salvo guarantees it. There's Caldwell the wailer here, too, but it's Todd's work behind the kit that makes this one for me. He pushes the horns, and the duet with Paul Smith is a highlight of the session.

But it's the stories – the ballads – that this recording is really about. “Have I Stayed Too Long at the Fair?” is another that will stick with you. It is spare, as Sivils, Smith, and Birdsall let the others in the band rest. Or maybe they wept, as this one is that kind of tearjerker. This is an underperformed gem, and my choice as Megan Birdsall's finest performance to date.

This is another easily recommended session from Gary Sivils. —Roger Atkinson






	Search our site:		Heat Index Ebullitious Sizzlin' Music – 2005 Personnel: David Parsley, tenor sax, straight tenor sax, soprano sax, and vocals; Clint Ashlock, trumpet, flugelhorn, and vocals; Rick Gibson, electric guitar and vocals; Jay Pfeifer, keyboards; Frank Goddard, electric bass guitar and vocals; Doug Gunn, drums, percussion, and vocals. Tracks: The Dancer, Five Day Road Trip, Gloria's Walk, A Woman's Worth, Frak-A-Tak, Keep That Same Old Feeling, Groovin', Whoopin' It Up, Watermelon Man, Oui Oui Si. Tracks recorded by Kipton Blue and Culture House Studios in Overland Park , KS . Produced: Rick Gibson and Frank Goddard. Engineered: Kipton Blue. Ebullitious is defined as effervescent or an unrestrained expression of emotion. Heat Index's newest release definitely metes out ebullition. Whether interpreting other's music or performing their original compositions, Heat Index overflows the boundaries with their expression of emotion and gives each track a deep feeling and flavor all its own. With band members from both coasts, Tennessee , Colorado , Missouri , and Kansas , the six members of Heat Index now call the Greater Kansas City area home and have infused the jazz scene with a mixture of West Coast drive, New York funk, and Midwestern jazz. Formed in 2002 by a handful of veteran professional musicians, Heat Index strives for the tradition of Grover Washington, Jr. and The Jazz Crusaders, but twists it with an original jazz funk bend. Since their inception, Heat Index has garnered critical acclaim and has held regular spots in the clubs throughout Kansas City and has played at numerous jazz festivals and special events. If you haven't yet allowed a performance of Heat Index to grace your presence, then pick up Ebullitious as a perfect introduction. First up is the original composition “The Dancer.” Jay Pfeifer's mastery of the keyboard is an overt highlight; however, this tune will introduce you to every member of Heat Index with quick solos. Next is the Wayman Tisdale tune “Five Day Road Trip,” which features a short but great Frank Goddard intro whose axe is featured again later along with extremely impressive sax work by David Parsley. This is followed up with another original work by Heat Index, “Gloria's Walk.” Personally, this is the most intriguing and entertaining track on the CD and features more great work by Parsley on the sax coupled with Clint Ashlock's trumpet playing taking over mid-way through. Starting off with a somber mood, “A Woman's Worth” shows the deep soul and blues talent of Heat Index, expertly mixing in each instrument. “Frak-A-Tak,” another original, will definitely have you boppin' your head and tappin' your toes for days to come with an unforgettable underlying beat. Wayne Henderson's “Keep That Same Old Feeling” starts off with a great intro by Goddard on the electric guitar while “Groovin',” made famous in the late ‘60s by The Young Rascals, will have you longing for a lazy Sunday afternoon with its laid-back sound. “Whoopin' It Up,” another Heat Index original, has a definitive funk sound to it and contains some impressive axe work by both Gibson and Goddard. Herbie Hancock's “Watermelon Man” is up next and Heat Index has done this jazz master's composition justice. The rising sax notes along with the underlying “clop-clop” beat will have every listener tapping their toes and snapping their fingers along with this one. Wrapping things up is “Oui Oui Si,” the opening of which could start any genre's music from jazz to metal and is a pleasantly surprising ending to this wonderful release. I expected something slow and somber, but this track is filled with energy; one might say it is filled with ebullition. If you haven't had the pleasure of making it to Jazz in the Woods at Overland Park 's Corporate Woods, The Parkville Jazz, Blues, & Fine Arts Festival, or one of the local jazz clubs, then you are missing out on some great funky jazz riffs. While Ebullitious won't give you the live feel of Heat Index, it will allow you to catch what is surely one of the freshest and most distinctive sounds coming out of the Kansas City jazz scene today. —Tristan Smith OJT+B: Bukeka Shoals with Ken Lovern's OJT (Organ Jazz Trio) Personnel: Bukeka Shoals, vocals; Ken Lovern, Hammond organ; Brian Baggett, guitar; Kevin Frazee, drums. Tracks: Big Yellow Taxi, ‘T Ain't Nobody's Bizness, Night and Day, Never Can Say Goodbye, Fat Daddy, Middle of the Road, God Bless the Child, Venus, I Loves You Porgy Recorded, engineered, and mastered by Ryan Kleeman. Produced by Ken Lovern and Ryan Kleeman. Music arranged by Ken Lovern. Vocal arrangement on “Middle of the Road” by Bukeka Shoals. Jazz Daddy Records, 2006. On track three of this new album, the classic “Night and Day,” Ken Lovern's Organ Jazz Trio (OJT) begins with a melodic tom-tom introduction in which Bukeka Shoals, the featured vocalist on the album, sings a haunting version of a lost first verse from this classic tune. The group's sensitivity to this verse verges on musical theatre with the “tick-tock of the clock” of the verse coming also from the organ and drums. Lovern said that the group tried hard to represent what was happening in the lyrics in the instrumentals that back them. He mentioned imitating the clock's tick tock, and he also spoke of the lost verse. “You don't usually hear that verse,” said Lovern, “and that adds a lot to that tune.” And the tune is exquisite in its blend of instrumentals and words. This tune represents the album's overall seamless juxtaposition of old and new, classic and pop, and blues and jazz. Plus, it is accessible. Half of the album is jazz standards, and half of the album is pop tunes. “We tried to take things that folks have been hearing on the radio in the past 30 years,” said Lovern. “I think it is fun to do recent pop music with a jazz treatment.” Tunes range in genre and feel from the folk tune of the ‘60s, “Big Yellow Taxi,” and the tune Dinah Washington made famous in the ‘50s, “Fat Daddy,” to “Venus” of the ‘80s, and the more standard Gershwin/Hayward tune “I Loves You Porgy” or Holiday/Herzog's “God Bless the Child.” “It's good-time music,” Lovern said, “music for the people.” This sums up well the appeal of the album, which is jazzy, with numerous great solos by Lovern and guitarist Brian Baggett, but also with an attention to the hard, bluesy groove Bukeka brings to the album. It is a groove complimented well by Lovern's organ work, which is mellow but driving, and always upbeat. Although the organ trio—with organ, guitar, and drums—is not entirely unique in the jazz world, since groups like Wes Montgomery's had this configuration, Lovern said that adding a singer makes the group unique. Lovern called the combination of an organ jazz trio with a vocalist a “warmer, unique sound.” He added that the bluesy feel of the group, including a dynamic vocalist, has granted a wider appeal in terms of the group's audiences. Speaking of how some audience members are drawn mainly to the human voice, and not to the instrumentalists, and come primarily to hear the singer, Lovern said, “People relate to the singer.” With Bukeka in the line up, Lovern said that more of the mass of his typical audiences seem to stay longer during the breadth of each set. Some people just love a singer, I guess. However, this says a lot for Bukeka's strong vocal presence as well. Also, the pop element is exciting, and it is a draw. In some ways, bringing contemporary pop tunes into the jazz idiom has become, for some, a lost art. However, guitarist Brian Baggett appreciates this fusion of contemporary music and jazz standards in their sound. “The distinction…between pop and jazz used to be a fuzzy line,” said Baggett. “It's nice to see people like Ken arrange pop music for jazz trios.” The OJT+B will hold CD release parties on Fri., Aug. 18, at the Center for Spiritual Living, and Mon., Sept. 25, at Jardine's. Oh, and you can listen to tunes from the album at www.myspace.com/ojtplusb or www.KenLovern.com . —Kevin Rabas Karen Blixt Spin This Personnel: Karen Blixt, all vocals; Joey DeFrancesco, Hammond B-3 organ, vocals; Russell Ferrante, piano; Frank Martin, piano, Fender Rhodes; Buddy Montgomery, vibes, piano; Bruce Forman, guitar; Derek Oles, acoustic bass; Brian Bromberg, acoustic bass; Troy Lampkins, electric bass; Will Kennedy, drums; Byron Landham, drums; Alex Acuna, drums, percussion; Joe Herbert, cello; Paul McCandless, English horn, bass clarinet, oboe; Sheldon Brown, bass clarinet Tracks: Swingin' the Blues; Carefully Taught; My Favorite Things; You Don't Know Me; Night and Day; Spin This; It's Over Now (Well, You Needn't); When You're Smiling; Kitchen Blue; Four; I Thought About You; Something So True Tracks 1, 4, 8, 10: DeFrancesco, B3; Tracks 2, 3, 6, 12: Ferrante, piano; Track 3, 6: Martin, Fender Rhodes; Tracks 4, 5, 10: Martin, piano; Track 11: Buddy Montgomery, piano; Tracks 4, 8: Buddy Montgomery, vibes; Track 1: Bruce Forman, guitar; Tracks 2, 9: Derek Oles, acoustic bass; Track 12: Brian Bromberg, acoustic bass; Tracks 3, 6: Troy Lampkins, electric bass; Tracks 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, 10: Will Kennedy, drums; Tracks 4, 8: Byron Landham, drums; Tracks 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 10, 12: Alex Acuna, percussion; Tracks 5, 7, 12: Alex Acuna, drums; Tracks 5, 12: Joe Herbert, cello; Track 5: Paul McCandless, English horn; Track 7: Paul McCandless, bass clarinet; Track 12: Paul McCandless, oboe; Tracks 5, 7: Sheldon Brown, bass clarinet If anyone finds my sox, feel free to dispose of them as you see fit (no pun intended). They were blown off recently vis a vis the irreproachable talents of singer/songwriter Karen Blixt, whose first CD, “Spin This,” is one of the freshest, finest, most entertaining vocal jazz expositions I've heard. Confident, comfortable (don't be misled here…she's a risk-taker who reaps big rewards) in excellent voice (with breath I'd kill for), her phrasing is unique although she's angular and imaginative like Sheila Jordan, whose influence she credits in the liner notes. Granted, the remarkable arrangements, courtesy of pianist/arranger/producer Frank Martin, certainly don't hurt. Can you imagine “Carefully Taught” (the bittersweet ballad Lieutenant Cable sings to his love, Liat, in “South Pacific”) as a bi-tonal dirge, Blixt singing a full step above the underlying I to VII-flat changes? It sounds other-worldly and it is, only in a most positive context. Opener “Swingin' the Blues,” the Basie/Durham/Hendricks standard, is a fun-filled romp complete with modulations, stop time, pitch-perfect vocalese, and the swinging sustenance of Joey DeFrancesco's B3. All of the trades are outstanding. Note: this disc is replete with choice solos; I'll leave it to you to discover your favorites. Tired of “My Favorite Things?” Lend an ear to this get-down, 11/8 version – Blixt effortless, articulate, pure, prurient. The Will Kennedy/Alex Acuna interlude will generate some (joyful) grunts. This is the way one's accompaniment should be featured: no gratuitous inserts; turns taken all fit, feel good, fall where they should. A laid back, late-night, last-round feel resonates with “You Don't Know Me. ” This is tender, sweet, no-frills Blixt. Think Jo Stafford. The incomparable Paul McCandless plays English horn on “Night and Day.” Bass clarinet (Sheldon Brown) and cello (Joe Herbert) contribute, as well as arranger Martin (piano) and Alex Acuna (drums/percussion). The (chord) substitutions are treacherous and tantalizing yet Blixt traverses them – and the intervals – with ease, her outchorus simmering atop a cauldron of bubbling sounds/rhythms. There's another brow-raising, jaw-dropping, head-tilting tick at every turn (of this cylinder). Title song, “Spin This,” was composed by the aforementioned Martin with Blixt. It's musically clever, lyrically sapient, a funky, free-flowing treatise on today's political climate. How do two bass clarinetists and a drummer grab you? They are Karen's attendants on “It's Over Now (Well, You Needn't).” I confess, it took several replays before I could snap appropriately throughout but it was such fun listening I didn't mind the challenge. Pay close attention or you'll miss the hilarious 19-second reprise. Opposites are attractive, e.g. a Louis Prima/Keely Smith-type version of “When You're Smiling” (DeFrancesco plays Louis) followed by the wickedly wordy, wildly-paced “Four,” wherein the time will play tricks on you and only the bold will survive the slippery vocalese hinterland. “Kitchen Blue,” another innovative Martin/Blixt collaboration where wild notes and colors dissolve into tonic emptiness “…without you, it's kitchen blue,” precedes a hold-your-breath-don't-anybody-move, oh-so-slow, sad, sensual “I Thought About You.” Vibraphonist Buddy Montgomery's piano accompanies Karen on this one and it couldn't sound better. The closer, Martin/Blixt's “Something So True” with McCandless playing oboe, Herbert, cello – plus rhythm section – is a reflective, contemporary ballad, melodically unconventional as the prose ordains. It strikes me here that I've yet to mention pianist Russell Ferrante, whose sensitive accompaniment and brilliant soloing adds yet another dimension to this already talent-heavy collection. There are several other musicians who deserve the ink; please purchase this compendium and hear for yourself. You may soon find yourself sockless as well. —Carol Comer Gary Sivils Jazz Quintet Forever Took Too Long Personnel: Gary Sivils, cornet; Paul Smith , piano and keyboards; Bob Bowman, bass; Todd Strait, drums; Bill Caldwell, tenor saxophone; Kim Sivils, piano (track 2); Steve Rigazzi, bass (track 8); Megan Birdsall, vocals (tracks 4, 8, 11). Tracks: All of You; Save That Time; Falling in Love With Love; A Song for You; Studio Talk; I Fall in Love Too Easily; Forever Took Too Long; Since I Fell for You; Always and Forever; There is No Greater Love; Have I Stayed Too Long at the Fair? Recorded and Mixed Spring 2006 at Soundtrek Recording Studios, Kansas City , Missouri . Engineers: Ron Ubel, Jeff Schiller, and Grant Schainost. Veteran KC cornetist Sivils has quickly followed up his Pretty Wild session with another mainstream offering, the thematic Forever Took Too Long. Sivils wears his heart on his sleeve on this selection of tunes about loves and loves lost. I heard Gil Evans describe how Miles Davis changed the way an instrument was played, changed the sound of the instrument. The Harmon mute was a part of that. Sivils uses that sound throughout, and it continues to be among the most pleasing and expressive sounds in jazz. The first three tracks feature the muted cornet. Russ Long's “Save That Time” is notable among the openers, as it is a moving duet with Gary and his daughter, pianist Kim Sivils. Also noteworthy is Bill Caldwell's tenor on “Falling in Love with Love”, and Paul Smith 's piano propelling this track along as only he can. Joining Sivils on this recording is the PBT Trio: Paul Smith , Bob Bowman, and Todd Strait . Smith opens “A Song for You” unaccompanied, leading to the first of Megan Birdsall's effective vocals (she is an absolute dynamo on “Since I Fell for You”). Sivils misplaced the mute on “A Song for You”, and the open horn proves to be just as emotive in his hands as the muted one. Mute returns on “I Fall in Love Too Easily”, which opens with Bob Bowman's bass counterpoint as the only support during the theme. Sivils' ascending scale early in his second chorus is another reminder of the Davis influence. Hard to argue with Mike Metheny's liner note comment that Bill Caldwell is “the best tenor saxophonist on the planet that not enough people know about”: his solo on this ballad is the evidence. Paul Smith 's melodic invention is apparent in his statement. Time for a swinger and “Forever Took Too Long” is the up-tempo blues we were looking for. Sivils (muted), Caldwell (hot), and Bowman (yes, a bass can talk) all solo before Smith and Todd Strait exchange fours before the band takes it out. Pat Metheny's ballad “Always and Forever” is a leading candidate to be a tune that will be a jazz standard in the next generation. Sivils plays it on the open horn. Bowman and Caldwell also get their turns on this tune. Do I hear some Smith's synth strings here? They work. The opening five note phrase of the melody will be running through my head for days. “There is No Greater Love” will get the blood flowing again: Strait's opening salvo guarantees it. There's Caldwell the wailer here, too, but it's Todd's work behind the kit that makes this one for me. He pushes the horns, and the duet with Paul Smith is a highlight of the session. But it's the stories – the ballads – that this recording is really about. “Have I Stayed Too Long at the Fair?” is another that will stick with you. It is spare, as Sivils, Smith, and Birdsall let the others in the band rest. Or maybe they wept, as this one is that kind of tearjerker. This is an underperformed gem, and my choice as Megan Birdsall's finest performance to date. This is another easily recommended session from Gary Sivils. —Roger Atkinson RETURN TO AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2006 MAIN INDEX © Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors 1996-2006. All rights reserved.