JAM: December 2004/January 2005 Issue: For the Record

Mike Metheny
BACK TO BASICS

3V-003

Personnel: Mike Metheny, flugelhorn, EVI, cornet, trumpet; Rod Fleeman, guitar; Paul Smith, keyboards, synthesizers.

Tracks: Chipanecas; “Air” from Suite in D; Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G, “Allegro”; “Recordare” from Requiem; First Gymnopedie; Sonata in C Minor/”Pathetique”; Pavane; Lament for a Fallen Matador; Homage; Chipanecas.

Recorded and mixed at Soundtrek Studios (Ron Ubel and Grant Schainost engineers), Kansas City, MO; additional edits, mixes, and final mastering by C.R. Sound (Craig Retmer engineer), Kansas City, MO.

“Always play to the person in the room who's listening to what you're saying.”

Keith House, musician and educator Westview Elementary School , circa early 1960s Lee's Summit , Missouri

Listen up, everyone. Mike Metheny is playing to you with his new album, Back to Basics . What he's saying constitutes a contemporary masterwork of classical music.

At this writing, a catcher named Mike Matheny is playing for the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series, baseball's fall classic. Known for skill behind home plate and the ability to command a pitching staff, Matheny is a perennial Gold Glove winner as the best fielder at his position. It's a metaphor for the musical Metheny, who with Golden Horns – and Silver Electronic Valve Instrument – heads home as well. An impressive command of classical source music is elemental to his demonstrated mastery of the jazz idiom over the years.

The album begins and ends with distinct versions of a traditional Mexican folk song culled from Metheny archives. The former recording is from 1961, when mother Lois and 6-year-old brother Pat acted as engineers for Mike's first recorded solo, running a 1950s-era suitcase model reel-to-reel in his elementary school gymnasium. He returned to the scene 3 decades later to play the same solo based on a Méndez arrangement, this time captured on a Sony Walkman.

“Homage” is a fine example of rich texture revealed throughout. The original composition is a tribute to those who inspired Metheny from the beginning. It also features his first turn on the trumpet in nearly 30 years. Elsewhere, Bach's “Allegro” bears a joyous abundance of filigreed parts played on the EVI. A lovely rendition of “Lament for a Fallen Matador” echoes an earlier Art Farmer version.

Metheny has always possessed a spiritual voice. It's atmospherically present throughout live performances and his discography. The same luminosity appears here, where the music serves as Sunday Morning counterpart to the typical jazz embodiment of Saturday Night Function. Whether the trio of Rod Fleeman, Paul Smith, and Metheny are playing Albinoni, Bach, Beethoven, Ravel, Satie, or Verdi, soulful sounds usher us into a refined classical sanctuary. The trio's voice fully inhabits each legendary composition by virtue of layered offerings, sophisticated play, and the marvels of modern engineering. It's ensemble qua orchestra or choir.

Recorded in various sessions last summer, each piece is artfully arranged, sensitively interpreted, and skillfully overdubbed. Even the liner design and illustrations seamlessly complement the classic sounds. Their consistently adept treatment of music from the masters reminds us how great the line of succession in which the effort stands. After all, around 1700, Bach himself was studying and adapting from Albinoni's music.

While the album played in our home over the weekend, our exuberant seventh-grade son burst into the basement room. “What is that?!” he blurted. When told, he said, “It's so peaceful and calming,” before spinning around to sprint back upstairs. From the stairway above came the lingering, inspired postscript . . . “and beautiful and pretty and stuff.”

Indeed it is.

• Tom Fredrick

Joe Cartwright
Soul Eyes
Lafayette Music LMCD-1974

Personnel: Joe Cartwright, piano; Bob Bowman, bass; Todd Strait , drums

Tracks: Dreamsville; Ojos de Rojo; Always and Forever; Love Walked In; Fall; Soul Eyes; Hebgan Happy Hour

Tracks 3, 4, and 5: Recorded March 18, 2004 , Oak Bar, Fairmount Kansas City . Engineer: Chris Crabtree. Track 6: Recorded March 20, 2004 , Kansas City Public Radio Studio C. Engineer: Chubias Smith. Tracks 1, 2, 7: Recorded March 21, 2004 , Topeka Performing Arts Center. Engineer: Luke Stone. Mastered by Craig Rettmer, C. R. Sound.

In the recent past I had the pleasure of reviewing recordings with Joe Cartwright featured as a sideman. On both of these sessions (led by Gary Dammer and Kim Park) the contributions of Mr. Cartwright were ear-catching, greatly enhancing the listening pleasure of each.

Soul Eyes gives us the opportunity to again hear Joe on disc, this time in a leader role on seven varied tracks recorded live over a four-day period this past March. With more than able assistance from our own Bob Bowman on bass and former KC-based drummer Todd Strait , Soul Eyes should bring a smile to most jazz fans.

The program is full of inspired surprises, with only George Gershwin's “Love Walked In” from the standard pop book. This rendition is unlike any I have heard before. George didn't put in the funk bass line or the brushed backbeat that Bowman and Strait lead with. Over this rhythm, the trio digs in for a quarter-hour excursion that ends too soon. Bob opens with a long introduction before the piano states the theme. Dig how Joe quotes Eddie Harris' “Cold Duck Time” and “Down By the Riverside” before he gets way deep into it. The Oak Room had to be full of toe-tappers this evening! The spiritual intensity just builds throughout Cartwright's statement, before he turns it over for some hands-on-hip scolding from Bowman. Todd has dropped the brushes for sticks by the time he gets his turn to the wrap.

Henry Mancini penned some hip music for the Peter Gunn TV series, including the leadoff track “Dreamsville.” This is an easy loper, notable for Bowman's tasty counterpoint throughout the theme. Bob is rewarded by getting the first solo, weaving his melodic magic. Note the underlying rhythm that Strait introduces under the piano solo, reminiscent of “Poinciana.” This is a nice rendition of a seldom-heard gem.

“Ojos de Rojo” is Cedar Walton's modern jazz classic that must be a blast to play, with its surging rhythm, unforgettable bass line, and the tension and release. Solos by Joe, Bob, and Todd sparkle with creative intensity. Strait is unbelievable, starting on the high hat before switching to the tom-toms. Can hands really move this fast?

Cartwright's ballad prowess is evident on Pat Metheny's “Always and Forever” – another inspired selection – and the title track “Soul Eyes”. Ballads should be moving, and these are both satisfying. Cartwright shows his ability to improvise melody on both tunes. At the end of “Always and Forever” you'll hear someone say “beautiful”, and I agree with that critique. Mal Waldron's “Soul Eyes” requires some space in the melody, which Joe provides, while Todd gives a clinic in brushwork support for a ballad before picking up the tempo during the piano solo.

The Bowman blues “Hebgan Happy Hour” closes the proceedings. Bob opens this up, then the heavy funk and backbeat come in to support Joe's two-fisted statement. Todd is as melodic as a drummer can be in his brushed solo.

Though recorded by three engineers at three different locations, these tracks flow seamlessly with minimal change in quality. It's fair to say that this trio was locked in during these four days. This is a CD that will reward repeated listening.

--Roger Atkinson

Andy Masters
Trek
440 Productions

Personell: Andy Masters, Cal Green, Jr., guitars; Kenny Hudson, bass; Pete Cole, drums; Wayne Hawkins, Jeff Jone, keyboards; Todd Wilkinso, saxophone; Debra Moreno-Lowther, vocals.

Tracks; Cantaloupe Island; K.C. Funk; Footprints; Brand X; Memphis Underground; All Blues; Autumn Leaves; Stella By Starlight

Mixed and mastered 2003 at Caravell Studios, Branson , Mo.
Engineered by Greg Roller

This agreeable CD was recorded with similar personnel over a 10-year period, the bulk recorded in Kansas City in 1993. Andy Masters' electric guitar timbre has an edge to it, and it is well showcased in the selections contained herein.

“Trek” has a groove not unlike some of the funk on a Freddie Hubbard – Stanley Turrentine collaboration from the late 1970's; in other words, a nice toe-tapping groove. It's all Andy, from start to finish, with backbeats supplied by Pete Cole. Herbie Hancock's “ Cantaloupe Island ” keeps the groove going, albeit more relaxed than the opener. Todd Wilkinson follows the leader's solo with a wailer of his own. Wayne Hawkins' piano is also highlighted on this Blue Note classic.

Masters and Green collaborated on “K.C. Funk,” and it certainly is. Wilkinson and Masters get the simple theme across, and the tune returns to the home base halfway into Masters' outing, and does again before Wilkinson's statement. Masters has a second outing before “K.C. Funk” fades out.

On “Footprints,” Masters turns down the edge a tad, the result being a fairly straight-ahead reading. Not that it doesn't heat up; the tempo is quicker than this tune is typically played. Wayne Hawkins also has a nice acoustic piano solo here, and adds the right colors behind Masters.

“Brand X” is more Masters funk, and more Masters electric edge wailing over the rock-solid rhythm. Wilkinson follows this with another solo, somewhat smoother than Masters'. This provides a nice contrast. Once again, the Masters funk line is followed by a soulful classic by another Herbie, which is Mann, and “Memphis Underground.” Cal Green's rhythm guitar fits this groove like a glove.

“All Blues” is also taken with the Pete Cole backbeat. “Autumn Leaves” features Debra Moreno-Lowther's expressive vocals over Masters' chords for two choruses. Masters follows with a half chorus before Moreno-Lowther returns for the bridge and close.

The finale “Stella” is solo Masters at medium tempo.

This is a well-rounded collection that has Andy Masters in a variety of enjoyable settings. The contributions of Wayne Hawkins and Todd Wilkinson will only add to the interest of this CD.

-- Roger Atkinson






	Search our site:		Mike Metheny BACK TO BASICS 3V-003 Personnel: Mike Metheny, flugelhorn, EVI, cornet, trumpet; Rod Fleeman, guitar; Paul Smith, keyboards, synthesizers. Tracks: Chipanecas; “Air” from Suite in D; Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G, “Allegro”; “Recordare” from Requiem; First Gymnopedie; Sonata in C Minor/”Pathetique”; Pavane; Lament for a Fallen Matador; Homage; Chipanecas. Recorded and mixed at Soundtrek Studios (Ron Ubel and Grant Schainost engineers), Kansas City, MO; additional edits, mixes, and final mastering by C.R. Sound (Craig Retmer engineer), Kansas City, MO. “Always play to the person in the room who's listening to what you're saying.” Keith House, musician and educator Westview Elementary School , circa early 1960s Lee's Summit , Missouri Listen up, everyone. Mike Metheny is playing to you with his new album, Back to Basics . What he's saying constitutes a contemporary masterwork of classical music. At this writing, a catcher named Mike Matheny is playing for the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series, baseball's fall classic. Known for skill behind home plate and the ability to command a pitching staff, Matheny is a perennial Gold Glove winner as the best fielder at his position. It's a metaphor for the musical Metheny, who with Golden Horns – and Silver Electronic Valve Instrument – heads home as well. An impressive command of classical source music is elemental to his demonstrated mastery of the jazz idiom over the years. The album begins and ends with distinct versions of a traditional Mexican folk song culled from Metheny archives. The former recording is from 1961, when mother Lois and 6-year-old brother Pat acted as engineers for Mike's first recorded solo, running a 1950s-era suitcase model reel-to-reel in his elementary school gymnasium. He returned to the scene 3 decades later to play the same solo based on a Méndez arrangement, this time captured on a Sony Walkman. “Homage” is a fine example of rich texture revealed throughout. The original composition is a tribute to those who inspired Metheny from the beginning. It also features his first turn on the trumpet in nearly 30 years. Elsewhere, Bach's “Allegro” bears a joyous abundance of filigreed parts played on the EVI. A lovely rendition of “Lament for a Fallen Matador” echoes an earlier Art Farmer version. Metheny has always possessed a spiritual voice. It's atmospherically present throughout live performances and his discography. The same luminosity appears here, where the music serves as Sunday Morning counterpart to the typical jazz embodiment of Saturday Night Function. Whether the trio of Rod Fleeman, Paul Smith, and Metheny are playing Albinoni, Bach, Beethoven, Ravel, Satie, or Verdi, soulful sounds usher us into a refined classical sanctuary. The trio's voice fully inhabits each legendary composition by virtue of layered offerings, sophisticated play, and the marvels of modern engineering. It's ensemble qua orchestra or choir. Recorded in various sessions last summer, each piece is artfully arranged, sensitively interpreted, and skillfully overdubbed. Even the liner design and illustrations seamlessly complement the classic sounds. Their consistently adept treatment of music from the masters reminds us how great the line of succession in which the effort stands. After all, around 1700, Bach himself was studying and adapting from Albinoni's music. While the album played in our home over the weekend, our exuberant seventh-grade son burst into the basement room. “What is that?!” he blurted. When told, he said, “It's so peaceful and calming,” before spinning around to sprint back upstairs. From the stairway above came the lingering, inspired postscript . . . “and beautiful and pretty and stuff.” Indeed it is. • Tom Fredrick Joe Cartwright Soul Eyes Lafayette Music LMCD-1974 *Personnel: Joe Cartwright, piano; Bob Bowman, bass; Todd Strait , drums* *Tracks: Dreamsville; Ojos de Rojo; Always and Forever; Love Walked In; Fall; Soul Eyes; Hebgan Happy Hour* Tracks 3, 4, and 5: Recorded March 18, 2004 , Oak Bar, Fairmount Kansas City . Engineer: Chris Crabtree. Track 6: Recorded March 20, 2004 , Kansas City Public Radio Studio C. Engineer: Chubias Smith. Tracks 1, 2, 7: Recorded March 21, 2004 , Topeka Performing Arts Center. Engineer: Luke Stone. Mastered by Craig Rettmer, C. R. Sound. In the recent past I had the pleasure of reviewing recordings with Joe Cartwright featured as a sideman. On both of these sessions (led by Gary Dammer and Kim Park) the contributions of Mr. Cartwright were ear-catching, greatly enhancing the listening pleasure of each. Soul Eyes gives us the opportunity to again hear Joe on disc, this time in a leader role on seven varied tracks recorded live over a four-day period this past March. With more than able assistance from our own Bob Bowman on bass and former KC-based drummer Todd Strait , Soul Eyes should bring a smile to most jazz fans. The program is full of inspired surprises, with only George Gershwin's “Love Walked In” from the standard pop book. This rendition is unlike any I have heard before. George didn't put in the funk bass line or the brushed backbeat that Bowman and Strait lead with. Over this rhythm, the trio digs in for a quarter-hour excursion that ends too soon. Bob opens with a long introduction before the piano states the theme. Dig how Joe quotes Eddie Harris' “Cold Duck Time” and “Down By the Riverside” before he gets way deep into it. The Oak Room had to be full of toe-tappers this evening! The spiritual intensity just builds throughout Cartwright's statement, before he turns it over for some hands-on-hip scolding from Bowman. Todd has dropped the brushes for sticks by the time he gets his turn to the wrap. Henry Mancini penned some hip music for the Peter Gunn TV series, including the leadoff track “Dreamsville.” This is an easy loper, notable for Bowman's tasty counterpoint throughout the theme. Bob is rewarded by getting the first solo, weaving his melodic magic. Note the underlying rhythm that Strait introduces under the piano solo, reminiscent of “Poinciana.” This is a nice rendition of a seldom-heard gem. “Ojos de Rojo” is Cedar Walton's modern jazz classic that must be a blast to play, with its surging rhythm, unforgettable bass line, and the tension and release. Solos by Joe, Bob, and Todd sparkle with creative intensity. Strait is unbelievable, starting on the high hat before switching to the tom-toms. Can hands really move this fast? Cartwright's ballad prowess is evident on Pat Metheny's “Always and Forever” – another inspired selection – and the title track “Soul Eyes”. Ballads should be moving, and these are both satisfying. Cartwright shows his ability to improvise melody on both tunes. At the end of “Always and Forever” you'll hear someone say “beautiful”, and I agree with that critique. Mal Waldron's “Soul Eyes” requires some space in the melody, which Joe provides, while Todd gives a clinic in brushwork support for a ballad before picking up the tempo during the piano solo. The Bowman blues “Hebgan Happy Hour” closes the proceedings. Bob opens this up, then the heavy funk and backbeat come in to support Joe's two-fisted statement. Todd is as melodic as a drummer can be in his brushed solo. Though recorded by three engineers at three different locations, these tracks flow seamlessly with minimal change in quality. It's fair to say that this trio was locked in during these four days. This is a CD that will reward repeated listening. --Roger Atkinson Andy Masters Trek 440 Productions *Personell: Andy Masters, Cal Green, Jr., guitars; Kenny Hudson, bass; Pete Cole, drums; Wayne Hawkins, Jeff Jone, keyboards; Todd Wilkinso, saxophone; Debra Moreno-Lowther, vocals.* Tracks; Cantaloupe Island; K.C. Funk; Footprints; Brand X; Memphis Underground; All Blues; Autumn Leaves; Stella By Starlight Mixed and mastered 2003 at Caravell Studios, Branson , Mo. Engineered by Greg Roller This agreeable CD was recorded with similar personnel over a 10-year period, the bulk recorded in Kansas City in 1993. Andy Masters' electric guitar timbre has an edge to it, and it is well showcased in the selections contained herein. “Trek” has a groove not unlike some of the funk on a Freddie Hubbard – Stanley Turrentine collaboration from the late 1970's; in other words, a nice toe-tapping groove. It's all Andy, from start to finish, with backbeats supplied by Pete Cole. Herbie Hancock's “ Cantaloupe Island ” keeps the groove going, albeit more relaxed than the opener. Todd Wilkinson follows the leader's solo with a wailer of his own. Wayne Hawkins' piano is also highlighted on this Blue Note classic. Masters and Green collaborated on “K.C. Funk,” and it certainly is. Wilkinson and Masters get the simple theme across, and the tune returns to the home base halfway into Masters' outing, and does again before Wilkinson's statement. Masters has a second outing before “K.C. Funk” fades out. On “Footprints,” Masters turns down the edge a tad, the result being a fairly straight-ahead reading. Not that it doesn't heat up; the tempo is quicker than this tune is typically played. Wayne Hawkins also has a nice acoustic piano solo here, and adds the right colors behind Masters. “Brand X” is more Masters funk, and more Masters electric edge wailing over the rock-solid rhythm. Wilkinson follows this with another solo, somewhat smoother than Masters'. This provides a nice contrast. Once again, the Masters funk line is followed by a soulful classic by another Herbie, which is Mann, and “Memphis Underground.” Cal Green's rhythm guitar fits this groove like a glove. “All Blues” is also taken with the Pete Cole backbeat. “Autumn Leaves” features Debra Moreno-Lowther's expressive vocals over Masters' chords for two choruses. Masters follows with a half chorus before Moreno-Lowther returns for the bridge and close. The finale “Stella” is solo Masters at medium tempo. This is a well-rounded collection that has Andy Masters in a variety of enjoyable settings. The contributions of Wayne Hawkins and Todd Wilkinson will only add to the interest of this CD. -- Roger Atkinson RETURN TO DECEMBER 2004/JANUARY 2005 MAIN INDEX © Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors 1996-2004. All rights reserved.