FOURPLAY reviewed by Nate Chinen in the New York Times

Music Review Fourplay

Precision High Jinks From a Veteran Jazz Quartet

Michelle V. Agins/The New York Times

Fourplay: From left, Nathan East, bass; Larry Carlton, guitar; and Bob James, piano; at the Blue Note.

By NATE CHINEN
Published: June 2, 2009

During the final moments of their early set at the Blue Note on Monday night, the members of Fourplay engaged in a bit of musical horseplay. First Bob James, the keyboardist, tossed off a pithy phrase. Nathan East, the bassist, picked it up, followed in turn by the guitarist Larry Carlton and the drummer Harvey Mason. The cycle repeated and quickened until the band was frantically circulating just one note, like a hot potato.

It was cute. But then cuteness has always been a reliable strategy for Fourplay, one of the leading brands in adult-contemporary music. Since 1990 the group has kept refining a bright and palatable sound, mixing chirpy melody with crisp rhythm, and R&B (by loose definition) with modern jazz (by an even looser one). Its consistency applies equally to the commercial side of the equation: almost all the band’s 10 albums have landed on the Billboard 200, including “Energy” (Heads Up), the most recent, released last year.

Monday’s set, which kicked off a four-night run, featured songs from that album alongside more established staples of the Fourplay catalog, and the only truly noticeable difference among them involved the relative enthusiasm of the crowd. “Chant,” a trademark single from the 1990s, was a suave opener, with Mr. East’s wordless singing (and, more cutely, whistling) set against a slow funk shuffle. “Ultralight,” a more buoyant tune from the new album, came next, and it was embraced by the audience a bit more tentatively at first.

But that was before the appealingly boppish melody had settled in, and before Mr. Carlton, who wrote the tune, had fashioned his blues-informed solo excursion. Precise and levelheaded musicianship is the stealth principle behind Fourplay’s success, as well as a good reason for its bond with a dedicated fan base. And that principle, often dampened by the airtight dimensions of the band’s recordings, assumes sharper focus in performance. This performance in particular featured a few more thoughtfully controlled statements from Mr. Carlton, who joined the group about a decade ago, replacing Lee Ritenour. On several tunes, including an old favorite, “101 Eastbound,” Mr. James accomplished just as much, imbuing his solos with a clear dramatic shape. As a rhythmic engine, Mr. Mason and Mr. East locked in tight and close, giving each groove a gravitational pull.

The problem, for much of the set, had to do with aesthetics. Mr. James could have toned down the gloss of his synthesizers; Mr. East’s vocals could have been less saccharine. The gauziness and breathiness made an especially lethal pairing on “Sebastian,” a new piece by Mr. James after a prelude by Johann Sebastian Bach. At best, Fourplay isn’t half that precious, though it should be noted that “Sebastian” met with ample applause.

Fourplay appears through Thursday at the Blue Note, 131 West Third Street, West Village, (212) 475-8592; bluenote.net.

Blast From The Past: Ben Webster & Teddy Wilson

This video features two of the most lyrical jazz musicians of all time: Ben Webster and Teddy Wilson. Both musicians had beautiful and unique tones on their instruments as well as emotionally oriented styles; everything they did was very musical, and this is displayed greatly in this video.
Ben Webster's ballad playing is seen by many as the epitome of ballad playing. His lush and robust tenor saxophone sound is very romantic and emotional without being overly sentimental. These musicians create a beautiful aura around the music that they play; notice the vibe that they create in this video - and also notice how quickly they create it.
This video would make a great audio track, but it is very interesting to watch as well. Notice, at the beginning, that Teddy Wilson begins the tune a tad faster than Webster wanted it. Notice how he snaps the tempo down to his liking. Also, notice around 4:45 that Webster begins to cry. In my research, I read that before this performance Webster was informed of Johnny Hodges' death. While this may or may not be true and may or may not be the cause of the tears, it is not hard to imagine tearing up simply because of the beauty of the music at hand.
Enjoy!

Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band

Certainly one of the most revered jazz musicians of all time is Dizzy Gillespie. His virtuosity, compositions, and personality have all contributed to the legacy and institution that is (and has been since the mid 1940's) Dizzy Gillespie. Everything about Dizzy's music was truly Dizzy; everything he did musically was a direct testament to who he was personally. Gillespie's long-time collaborator and sometime instigator - they were known to have gone to jam sessions with their horns hidden under their coats; acting like they were just observing, they would wait for the perfect moment to "devour" the other musicians on stage. "This was known as an ambush," Dizzy said. - Charlie Parker once said, "If you haven't lived it, it won't come out of your horn." Dizzy Gillespie remains proof of this statement. Everything he played or composed represents everything that he was and loved. Among those loves were latin music, bebop, and humor - all of which are reflected in his music.
His music has created quite a following, and, being a man who was loved by all, Gillespie remains an often cause for celebration. One of these celebrations will be taking place next week here at the Blue Note. One of the most powerful big bands on the scene, the Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band is also one of the most star-studded. Featuring the likes of James Moody, Jimmy Heath, Roy Hargrove, Slide Hampton, Cyrus Chesnut, and many more, the Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band is a show not to be missed. All of the artists are coming together to play tribute to a man that they love, and the music that they play is sure to reflect that. Come out June 9-14 to see what will surely be one of the most exciting shows of the year.

New Sounds of Jazz: Hiromi

One of the most exciting pianists on the jazz scene today is Hiromi Uehara. Her unique approach to the keyboard - an approach that reflects a complete command of the instrument as well as a sensitive, tasteful, and broad emotional range - has caused quite a stir in the jazz community. Mentored by the great Ahmad Jamal, Hiromi has mesmerized many of the greats, including Chick Corea, with whom she is featured here.
Jamal says, "She is nothing short of amazing. Her music, together with her overwhelming charm and spirt, causes her to soar to unimaginable musical heights."
There is a lot of mystery, adventure, and excitement in Hiromi's music. To experience her explorations in person, come down to the Blue Note June 30-July 5.
Enjoy the video!

Blast From The Past: Oscar Peterson Trio + Guests

A little musical candy for your viewing pleasure. This video features the first of Oscar Peterson's legendary trios. Influenced by the instrumentation of the Nat Cole Trio (piano, bass, guitar), Oscar's first trio featured Ray Brown on bass and Herb Ellis on guitar. The rhythm section in this video is augmented by drummer Jo Jones (whose unique and tasteful style is showcased in this video with a great solo).
The tune is "C-Jam Blues," a standard blues tune composed by Duke Ellington that sometimes goes by the title, "Duke's Place." (Check out the album "Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong" for the a swinging version with the sometimes used lyric). The video showcases some of the great musical stylists of the 1930's, 1940's, and 1950's including Flip Phillips and Illinois Jacquet on tenor saxophone and Roy Eldridge on trumpet. The rhythm section is certainly inspiring to the soloists in this video (check out Eldridge's solo especially), and watching it, it is very apparent why the Oscar Peterson Trio was one of the most popular and sought out rhythm sections of it's day.
The video begins with an introduction by the great jazz impresario, Norman Granz, and features one of the most popular versions of his "Jazz at the Philharmonic" lineups. Loved by the musicians he employed, Granz was especially respected for standing up for them in times of racial inequality.
After this version of the Peterson trio disbanded, Oscar formed his second legendary trio with Ray Brown on bass, and Ed Thigpen on drums. It wasn't until 1990 that the original trio reunited. The place: the Blue Note.
Enjoy!

BLAST FROM THE PAST: BILLIE HOLIDAY & LESTER YOUNG ON "THE SOUND OF JAZZ"

This afternoon at the Blue Note, Nat Hentoff was interviewing John Pizzarelli as a part of the Blue Note Interview Series with Nat Hentoff. Hentoff was talking about an association with Robert Herridge (producer/host of CBS' "The Sound of Jazz") that lead to his involvement in the following video, recorded for "The Sound of Jazz." Hentoff described how Lester was feeling ill but summoned the energy to stand in the shot. Billie Holiday had tears in her eyes during Lester's solo, as you can see here, and according to Mr. Hentoff, so did he, Heriddge, the camerman, and almost everyone else who was there. It's now considered one of the most famous "live jazz" performances in TV history. Other members of the band were Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster, Gerry Mulligan, Roy Eldridge, Doc Cheatham, Vic Dickenson, Danny Barker, Milt Hinton and Mal Waldron. Enjoy.

JAMES CARTER PREVIEW IN NYTIMES

From May 5 - 10, James Carter will record live for Half Note Records. The following is the listing that ran with a quarter page picture:

★ JAMES CARTER (Tuesday through Thursday) Mr. Carter is a saxophonist of rampaging energies, and he does his best work when backed by toughened stalwarts. That should be the case in this run, which will be recorded for a live album: his blue-chip quintet, partly inspired by soul jazz, features John Medeski on organ and keyboards, Adam Rogers on guitar, Christian McBride on bass and Joey Baron on drums. (Through May 10). At 8 and 10:30 p.m., Blue Note, 131 West Third Street, West Village, (212) 475-8592, bluenote.net; cover, $27.50 at tables, $15 at the bar, with a $5 minimum. (Chinen)