Tracy Silverman's "Eclectica"

Not just another funk/world/rock/jazz/classical ensemble, Eclectica is a virtuoso groove event. This genre-defying band features the 5 time Grammy Award–winning drumming of Roy "Futureman" Wooten, of Bela Fleck and the Flecktones and electric violin virtuoso Tracy Silverman, heralded by the BBC as “the greatest living exponent of the electric violin.” Bass legend Steve Forrest, (replacing Kyle Whalum), rounds out the ensemble. Eclectica weaves sound-pieces together with a groove that is alive from the first note to the last encore, with sing-along choruses and creative jams that can lead in any direction. With 3-part vocals and inspired synchronicity, Eclectica is a celebration and a concert on the same stage.

Jim Beal Jr., writer for the San Antonio Express-News interviewed the band during a festival last year, and was able to get some fantastic insight into the creation of this unique trio. Beal writes, "When it comes to naming bands, truth in advertising does not always figure into the decision. For Nashville-based Eclectica, the name is on the mark. "What comes out of us is kind of funky rock, jazz and classical," said violinist Tracy Silverman. "There are elements of all those things in the music, which is why we call the band Eclectica."

Eclectica began with Silverman, Wooten and bassist Kyle Whalum (currently on the road with James Otto) and recorded their debut CD, "Streaming Video Soul" (Gutbucket Records). Forrest is Eclectica's current bassist, replacing Whalum for their recent tours. There are some great tunes on this album, including my personal favorite "Nawlins". There is an amazing live video of Eclectica performing this song with an orchestra that must be seen to be believed.

"I think people have open minds and ears when it comes to music," Silverman said. "I think people would rather hear more than one style of music. And, we don't want to get bored. We like to jump around. We have eclectic backgrounds. The music business tends to be very restrictive for artists. If you have a hit, you get labeled as that for the rest of your career. It's good for marketers, but not for artists."

Beal continued with a bio of the band, "Eclectica is not about to get labeled, at least not easily. Silverman grew up in New York. He started playing violin at 4. By the time he was 8, he was in the Juilliard School pre-college. He started winning competitions at 12 and graduated from Juilliard at 20. In 1994, he moved to the San Francisco Bay Area and joined the Turtle Island String Quartet. In the early 2000, Silverman started collaborating with contemporary classical composer John Adams, who composed the electric violin concerto "The Dharma at Big Sur" for the violinist.

Wooten is an inventor, composer and percussionist. With the Flecktones, he performs with a customized electric guitar-synthesizer, "The Synthaxe" which he renamed, the "Drumitar". Wooten also fronts the orchestral "Black Mozart Ensemble". With Eclectica, Wooten plays acoustic drums. Bassist Forrest, from Nashville by way of Memphis, is a first-call musician who has worked with Tony Joe White, Lucinda Williams and Emmylou Harris as well as with jazz bands and the Wooten Brothers and Friends group."

"Me and Roy bumped into each other a few times. He asked me to play on some of his projects. He's always doing something interesting," Silverman said. "I had this vision of a band with me, Roy and a keyboard player. It evolved into Eclectica. We decided to make a record and see if anybody would book us." Recording for Eclectica is not much different from playing live. "We recorded live, like we were jamming, to try to maintain that feeling," Silverman said. "I think we did well in the studio because we like to give ourselves some freedom. Live, we approach the music more like jazz players. We leave things open-ended. That makes every night different."

Something else that's different is Silverman's violin. It's a six-string instrument made by luthier Danny Ferrington. "It's tuned in fifths and has two lower strings," Silverman said. "It actually changes everything. I can play chords. And I developed a technique I call 'strum bowing.' I also use a strap and play the violin kind of like a guitar." With Eclectica, vocals also figure in, but not necessarily vocals in the traditional sense. "My original intent was for vocals to be about 50 percent of the time," he said. "It's primarily an instrumental band, but I think solely instrumental bands can be kind of boring. The vocals give us a little different texture..."

Eclectica hasn't appeared much on the west coast, confining their performances to Nashville and the east. I'd keep an eye out for this lovely trio; Silverman is amazing on electric violin, both Whalum and Forrest bring the funk and it's a real treat to hear and see Futureman on a tiny acoustic kit, tastily using wooden brushes and crisp cymbal work. More drummers should take his softer, yet confident approach. Meantime, pick up a copy of "Streaming Video Soul", a fine blend of jam-band-meets-Hendrix from three musical virtuosos.

Jazz Giants: The Photography of Herman Leonard

Beginning April 5th, jazz and photography lovers will be in for a real treat when they visit the Fillmore's Jazz Heritage Center. In honor of Jazz Appreciation Month, the JHC is presenting Jazz Giants: The Photography of Herman Leonard—a collection of some of the greatest jazz photographs ever taken by one of America’s greatest living photographers. The show is Herman Leonard’s first in San Francisco since he briefly lived in the city twenty years ago. The exhibit includes more than forty classic black and white photographs of jazz legends, including Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, Billie Holliday and Thelonious Monk. The images will be on exhibit April 5th - May 16th, in the JHC’s Lush Life Gallery and in the JHC’s Koret Heritage Lobby outside the entrance to Yoshi’s Jazz Club and Restaurant at 1320 Fillmore.

“Jazz Giants” is a photographic journey through the golden years of the Jazz, Blues and Bebop eras that document the larger-than-life legends that comprise the visual album of America's music. Focusing on the life and times of famed artists such as Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington and Thelonious Monk among countless others, this exhibition features a selection from Leonard's extensive photographic history. Using a unique lighting approach, Leonard's signature "backlighting" style and use of elements like smoke and strobe lighting gives his portraits a dramatic quality that is highly humanistic, capturing the illuminating personalities behind the music.

Born in Allentown, PA, Leonard discovered the camera at the young age of 11 and hasn’t stopped shooting since. While stationed in Burma in the Army Medical Corps during World War II he developed film late at night in his combat helmet. Leonard studied under famed Canadian portrait photographer Yousuf Karsh and had the invaluable opportunity to assist in shoots with Albert Einstein, Harry S. Truman and Clark Gable. It was from Karsh that Leonard received his most valuable advice as a photographer, to “tell the truth, but always in terms of beauty”. In the 1950s he became the personal photographer to Marlon Brando. Leonard’s fashion and advertising jobs have run in magazines like Life, Time and Playboy.

In 1956, Leonard moved to Paris and worked in advertising and fashion and for magazines including Life, Time and Playboy. After living in Europe for over 20 years, Leonard returned to the United States and settled in San Francisco and began printing his jazz negatives. In 1991, he moved to New Orleans after visiting the city for an exhibition of his work. Sadly, the devastation of Hurricane Katrina not only took his home, studio, and darkroom but over 6,000 of Leonard’s original photographs along with many of his exposure records were lost in the hurricane.

Leonard, now 87 and living in Los Angeles, continues to shoot, develop and exhibit his comprehensive archive. Most recently, the Smithsonian Institution honored Leonard by housing his entire collection in the permanent archives of musical history where they are considered as essential to American music history as Benny Goodman’s clarinet or Louis Armstrong’s horn. In October of 2008, Leonard was honored with a Lucie Award for his Lifetime Achievement in Portraiture. In June 2009 Leonard was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts degree by Ohio University, where he also delivered the 2009 Commencement Address.

The Herman Leonard Jazz Archive was established in 2007 and in 2008 was awarded a Grammy Foundation Grant for Archiving and Preservation. Herman’s goal through the archive is to bring his entire jazz collection, comprising a visual documentation of America’s original art form, back to life and preserve it for future generations.

There are some real gems in this exhibit, including some personal favorites; Billie Holliday cooking with her faithful dog "Mister" by her side; Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman and William Rodgers sitting front row for an Ella Fitzgerald concert; drummers Buddy Rich and Art Blakey flailing away ever so gracefully; vintage shots of Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett; a backstage shot of the elegant Max Roach; a young Thelonious Monk scribbling on sheet music, and of course, Miles Davis, signing some of his artwork from the modern "Amandla" and "Tutu" era.

Leonard, like the great Life magazine photographer Gordon Parks, had a knack for being in the right place, at the right time. From Monte Carlo and Manhattan, to festivals in Paris and Newport, Leonard has captured and preserved one of the most important eras in jazz history. His work, like those musicians he so lovingly photographed, will thankfully never be forgotten.

Jazz Giants: 
The Photography of Herman Leonard

April 5th, 2010 - May 16, 2010
Fillmore Jazz Heritage Center
1300 Fillmore

Bill Bruford's Earthworks "Video Anthologies" Now on DVD

Last October, I was in New York City to see the only U.S. appearance of British drummer Bill Bruford's Earthworks at the Iridium Jazz Club. His latest group features the incendiary Tim Garland on saxophones, the ever stable Lawrence Cottle on bass and the marvelous young Gwilym Simcock on piano. Apparently, I wasn't the only Californian in attendance; a certain jazz writer from Santa Rosa had seen all ten shows of Bruford's five day stand!

After the show, I spoke to Bruford about a possible return to Yoshi's, and the status of any future recordings. Bruford explained that he would be releasing no new CDs, but rather a two volume DVD anthology; one featuring the current band, and the other featuring the original Earthworks line-up with Django Bates, Iain Ballamy and Tim Harries. Wait no longer, these fantastic DVDs are now here.

Bill Bruford’s Earthworks, a uniquely British institution, have been turning heads on the international jazz scene now for 20 years. The band has consistently offered a platform to the best and brightest young players, presided over by a leader with unparalleled experience as a drummer, composer, and leader. This two-volume Video Anthology splits the band’s career to date into two separate decades, roughly marking its transition from an electronic to an acoustic outfit. Volume 1 represents the work of the later and current “acoustic” editions of the band in the 2000s, and Volume 2 mostly represents the “electronic” origins of the group in the 1990s. Both volumes come with Dave McKean artwork and a 12 page booklet chronicling critical reaction at the time, and all material has been selected and supervised personally by Bruford.

Bruford's earlier Earthworks DVD, "Footloose in NYC", was recorded at the now defunct Bottom Line, and featured the first all-acoustic version of the group, with Patrick Clahar on sax, Michael Hodgson on bass, and the delightful Steve Hamilton on piano. His work on "Cloud Cuckoo's Nest" is just gorgeous, and one of my favorite pieces of that group.

Not to be out done, Bruford continues to unleash one brilliant pianist after another; first with the enigmatic Bates; Hamilton, the amazing Scotsman, and now Simcock, who certainly tickles the ivories on the new song "Youth". Having seen both Bates and Hamilton on acoustic and electric pianos, it was most refreshing to hear and witness Simcock continuously reach over and pluck his piano wires so percussively.

Footage from the DVDs have been available via Bruford's myspace page for a few weeks now, and the response appears to be very enthusiatic. For those who want to get a glimpse into the wonderful world and music of a man very often being described as Britain's version of Art Blakey, these DVDs are a wonderful place to start.

Bill Bruford's Earthworks Video Anthology, Volume 1 & 2 are available via Bruford's website: http://www.billbruford.com/news.asp

The Robert Glasper Experiment Comes to the Herbst

Energized and fiercely talented, both Hiromi Uehara and Robert Glasper are redefining jazz piano. The 32-year-old Glasper, will be sharing the bill this Saturday with Hiromi, appearing with his quartet and artfully combining post-bop with alternative hip-hop grooves. 2009 has been a banner year for Glasper, who helped take both soul singer Maxwell and rapper Mos Def to the Top 10 of the Billboard chart. His new Blue Note 2-CD set, "Double Booked", has been hailed as one of the finest releases of the decade.

The bio from Glasper's website tells it all, "One artist, two distinct but interwoven concepts: this is the captivating logic behind Double-Booked, pianist Robert Glasper's third album for Blue Note, following up Canvas (2005) and In My Element (2007). An artist who "unfailingly gets the feeling right" (New York Magazine), Glasper has made waves throughout the music world as leader of both the acoustic Robert Glasper Trio and the electric, hip-hop-oriented Robert Glasper Experiment. With Double-Booked the 32-year-old Houston native puts his enviable versatility front and center, emphasizing these different hemispheres of his musical brain at the same time.

Career-wise, this creates a constant balancing act, and on occasion literally being double-booked, appearing with the Trio and the Experiment on the same night. Such is the storyline that emerges on Double-Booked, with conflicting voicemail messages from Terence Blanchard and Roots drummer Ahmir ?uestlove Thompson, each pulling for a different Glasper band.

"Most people, if they have different bands, they do separate albums," says Glasper. "But I felt I'd be making more of a statement if I put it all on one joint." The result, in essence, is a snapshot of Glasper's life. "This is what I'm dealing with," he continues. "It's not like I play jazz but I also play hip-hop now and then. I'm in it, for real, both sides of the spectrum. That's my life. A lot of people go in stages—they might focus on trio for a long time, then they change or whatever. My thing is both, all the time."



The first six tracks on Double-Booked feature Glasper in Trio setting with longtime bassist Vicente Archer as well as drummer Chris Dave, who plays in Glasper's Experiment band but recently came on board the Trio as well. "It's hard to find that common thread in one cat," Glasper enthuses. "Very few cats out there are extremely convincing in all genres of music. There's always a wink-wink somewhere, like they play jazz really good but the hip-hop's a little strange, or vice versa. Chris has both sides down on an even level, and he keeps on creating. He and Vicente used to play together with Kenny Garrett, so they have a history that made the linkup a lot easier. He knows the Chris-isms and Chris knows the Vicente-isms."



As on In My Element, Glasper underlines the Trio's hip-hop leanings with short fade-in interludes ("little Pete Rock-isms," Glasper says) that function as short codas to some of the tunes. From the outset, with the lyrical flow and supple interaction of "No Worries," one hears what Nate Chinen of The New York Times describes as "spongey, changeable adaptations of hip-hop rhythm tracks…Glasper himself plays as if he's a living sample…in a kind of real-time loop." "This is a little ditty I came up with when I was in London at a soundcheck," Glasper recalls. "We played it that night at the show. I kept hearing people in London say ‘no worries,' and that seemed like the title. It has a real positive, bright, ‘It's ok' vibe."



"Downtime," set mainly in 7/4, evokes a memory of Glasper looking out the window at the rain—"kind of like the ‘F.T.B.' of this record, if you will," Glasper says, referencing a standout track from In My Element. Both "Yes I'm Country (And That's OK)" and "59 South," meanwhile, touch upon Glasper's hometown environment in Texas. The latter references a heavily trafficked highway in Houston, a cultural reference not unlike the Brooklyn Bridge in Glasper's current home base, New York. "Yes I'm Country" prompts Glasper to explain: "I have a country swing when I play sometimes, and I like playing that way." The vamp of the tune, an intriguing five-bar phrase, exemplifies the sort of off-kilter rapport that sets the Glasper Trio apart. "I love odd phrases that vamp," he adds. "It brings a whole different feeling than a regular vamp."



The Trio portion of Double-Booked culminates with an astonishing treatment of Thelonious Monk's "Think of One." In an ingenious and totally natural overlay, Glasper seizes an opportunity in last A section to quote Ahmad Jamal's "Swahililand," the chord progression that formed the basis of De La Soul's 1996 hip-hop classic "Stakes Is High," co-written by Glasper's hero and friend, the late beatmaster J Dilla. "Monk and Dilla are both passed away, so when I play live I sometimes say they're both probably in heaven, chillin'. Maybe they're talking about this arrangement! I always wanted to mix a jazz joint with a hip-hop joint but make it dope, not contrived. Chris's drumbeat is so crazy at the end, the hi-hat with the placement of the bass drum—you don't get this on a jazz record, ever. That's why I made it the last Trio tune, because it's a perfect segue."



From that point forward, we are firmly in Experiment-land, with Chris Dave remaining on drums—although the drum sound on this half of the album can be markedly different from the first. "4Eva," a live excerpt featuring rap icon Mos Def, leads us straight into another world. "Butterfly" is originally from Thrust, Herbie Hancock's 1974 landmark album. Hancock, as both a pianist and a genre-crossing innovator, is of course a huge influence on Glasper. "It just happens that every one of my records has a Herbie tune—it seems like I'm doing it on purpose," Glasper says. "I'm not. But I had to put this on the record because it's dope." Casey Benjamin's vocoder effects heighten the mystery of the melody, and a J Dilla beat called "F--- the Police" serves as a rhythmic foundation.



Benjamin's arsenal of sonic effects is at the fore of "Festival," colored by Glasper's Fender Rhodes, taking wild, digressive turns over the course of 10 minutes—the Experiment sound at its most representative and expansive. "Casey has so many pedals, it's a whole thing when he sets up, he has to go to the gig before us," says Glasper with a laugh, noting that Benjamin is playing only alto saxophone and "nothing's overdubbed." A short transitional piece, "For You" by Benjamin and drummer Sameer Gupta, leads into "All Matter," a striking, unclassifiable original by vocalist Bilal Oliver. Glasper offers: "You can really do this song in any situation, and it does stick with you. So pretty." Derrick Hodge, the Experiment's bassist, an accomplished composer as well as a top-shelf jazz and hip-hop sideman, contributes the final track, "Open Mind," also featuring Bilal. It's "a spiritual tune" in Glasper's words, with additional textures and voice elements from turntablist Jahi Sundance, the son of alto saxophone great Oliver Lake.



Hailed by listeners and critics, Glasper has also garnered the respect of the toughest audience of all: musicians from across the jazz spectrum. In a May 2008 Blindfold Test for Down Beat magazine, a fellow pianist instantly identified Glasper and praised him as "a fantastic musician," pinpointing characteristics of his unique style: "a harmonic maze, but also an insistent rhythm, certain turns and filigrees and ornaments, some of them sort of gospelish." With Double-Booked, Glasper further develops all these elements and pulls them together in a new synthesis, continuing his ascent to the top ranks of modern jazz artistry."

SFJazz Spring Season 2010
Hiromi Uehara (solo piano) plus
"The Robert Glasper Experiment" with
Robert Glasper: piano
Casey Benjamin: saxophones, vocoder
Derrick Hodge: electric bass
Chris Dave: drums
Saturday, March 20th, 8PM
Herbst Theatre
Tickets: $25, $40, $55

John Scofield Comes to Yoshi's

I first saw guitarist John Scofield back in the late '70s, replacing guitarist John Abercrombie in Billy Cobham's band, featuring the Brecker Brothers and again later with the incredible "Billy Cobham-George Duke Band" with bassist Alphonso Johnson of Weather Report. It was one of the most brilliant fusion quartets I'd ever seen, with searing solos and ridiculous prestidigitations; Scofield more than held his own. I would next see Scofield touring with the legendary Miles Davis at the Newport Jazz Festival in '84 and actually had the pleasure of working with him during his tour in support of his "Bump" album in 2000. Scofield returns to Yoshi's in Oakland this weekend for a series of shows along with Mulgrew Miller (piano), Ben Street (bass), Kendrick Scott (drums).

On his website, John Scofield is "considered one of the 'big three' of current jazz guitarists - along with Pat Metheny and Bill Frisell. His influence began in the late 70’s and is going strong today. Possessor of a very distinctive sound and stylistic diversity, Scofield is a masterful jazz improviser whose music generally falls somewhere between post-bop, funk edged jazz, and R & B.

Born in Ohio and raised in suburban Connecticut, Scofield took up the guitar at age 11, inspired by both rock and blues players. He attended Berklee College of Music in Boston. After a debut recording with Gerry Mulligan and Chet Baker, Scofield was a member of the Billy Cobham-George Duke band for two years. In 1977 he recorded with Charles Mingus, and joined the Gary Burton quartet. He began his international career as a bandleader and recording artist in 1978. From 1982-1985, Scofield toured and recorded with Miles Davis. His Davis stint placed him firmly in the foreground of jazz consciousness as a player and composer.

Since that time he has prominently led his own groups in the international Jazz scene, recorded over 30 albums as a leader (many already classics) including collaborations with contemporary favorites like Pat Metheny, Charlie Haden, Eddie Harris, Medeski, Martin & Wood, Bill Frisell, Brad Mehldau, Mavis Staples, Government Mule, Jack DeJohnette, Joe Lovano and Phil Lesh. He’s played and recorded with Tony Williams, Jim Hall, Ron Carter, Herbie Hancock, Joe Henderson, Dave Holland, Terumasa Hino among many jazz legends. Throughout his career Scofield has punctuated his traditional jazz offerings with funk-oriented electric music. All along, the guitarist has kept an open musical mind.

Touring the world approximately 200 days per year with his own groups, he is an Adjunct Professor of Music at New York University, a husband and father of two."

I'm not sure about the "big three" of jazz guitarists label, I can think of at least a dozen others who belong on that list, John McLaughlin, Larry Coryell, Ralph Towner, Al DiMeola, John Abercrombie, David Torn, Allan Holdsworth, Mike Stern and that's just off the top of my head. I will say this, John Scofield is clearly among the best jazz guitarists of all time. See him and his killer band at Yoshi's and judge for yourself.

John Scofield's New Jazz Quartet
with Mulgrew Miller, Ben Street and Kendrick Scott
Fri 8pm $24 & 10pm $18
Sat 8pm & 10pm $24
Sun 2pm (Kids Matinee)
$5 (ages 15 and under), Adults (with children) $18, Adults $24
Sun 7pm $24

Stanley Adler's "Arias Under Curves"

I first met Stanley Adler in 1980, during those heady days in NYC while performing with the art-rock group "The Same" and their mentor, Brian Eno. Amazingly talented, Adler would go on to audition for King Crimson, perform with Madonna, tour with the Crazy World of Arthur Brown and dozens of equally influential and creative musicians. These days, Adler makes his home in France, moving from electric and acoustic bass to his Steinberger 5 string electric cello, recording and performing with the "Symphony of Wrong", a delightfully French avant garde combo that must be seen to be believed. I caught up with Adler a year or so ago in Cannes, as he prepared to enter the studio to record this wonderful new solo album, "Arias Under Curves".

According to Adler, "Arias Under Curves" is the result of musical ideas spanning some 30 years, now arranged for multiple over-dubbed cello and released on the French Wriggly Pig label. The opening tune, "Les Oublandes", is actually an invented word and composed in 1988 while apparently riding on the London Underground. Adler always had a penchant for making up names; take for example his popular song from the 1980s, "Kevohei, Kevo, Tengaro".

"Benares Bounce" was written in 2002, originally for the group 'Dha'. It's an attempt to incorporate harmonic movement into the framework of an India raga, specifically Todi. All the bass notes are actually in the raga. "Five Hours North" was begun in 1980, but extensively revised in 1988. It came from an experience of a road trip from Washington to New York in a rain storm with the windshield wipers providing the rhythm.

"Shedding My Skin" originally began as a melody for "Sunrise In Your Arms", which he then tried to add lyrics that Adler described as "Horrible". He asked fellow musician Deb Swallow for help, adding words he described as "wonderful, aphoristic and tentatively cogent, while retaining a cryptic, gossamer shield!" Adler and Swallow performed the song many times as both a duo and trio with Keith Bray in the group, "The Lost Puppies".

"On Waking To Snow", is the oldest melody on the album, first composed in the fall of 1979. It was untitled until recently, but began as a piano piece influenced by Brian Eno. "Buffalo Dancer" is from 1980, inspired by a painting by the Native American artist Fritz Scholder. "Karagouna" was also written for the group "Dha" in 2002 and is based on a Greek dance rhythm Adler played with "The Button Band".

"Love Sine" consists of three related fragments spanning 18 years. Part one from 1988, part two from 1996 and part three from 2006, finally bringing closure. Like the title of the album, 'Love Sines' is a mathematical play on words, courtesy of his recording engineer, Eddie Castellan. The beautiful "Lullaby For Tim" was written between 2005 and 2006, dedicated Adler and Swallow's friend Tim Petter, "a multi talented and gentle soul with whom we performed in the 'Button Band' and the "Lord Mayor's Parade" in London.

"Kamancheh" was composed in 2003, originally written for fretless jazz bass. It is also the name of a 2 string Iranian "spike fiddle" and is written in the "maqam", in other words, the Arabic modal music of North Africa, the Middle East and Asia. The high drone is taken from Professor John Baily's duty licks on "Kabul To California". Adler's "Tromba Marina" was conjured up in 2007 and the name of a medieval bowed string instrument. This piece consists entirely of harmonics. According to Adler, "The low F string enables me to play a pentatonic scale in A and is entirely improvised".

"Metal Postlude", the final piece on the album began as the 'Lost Puppies' tune, "Terracotta Princess" by Keith Bray. The arpeggiated second part was written in 2004 as a study exploring the harmonic possibilities of the 5 string electric cello.

Adler's compositions on his 5 string electric cello are truly modern, technically ground breaking and hauntingly melodic. With his impeccable understanding of rhythms and his unique use of harmonic movement, this collection is a must for all alternative cellists and lovers of the cello. For people who like challenging music, expertly devised and constructed in a way that communicates emotion and atmosphere, "Arias Under Curves" is truly forward thinking music.

I'll never forget something Brian Eno once remarked to us back in the day. "Mark my words, one day, the world will know the name Stanley Adler!", he exclaimed. Thanks to the global, digital music age, a career spanning thirty years and a truly amazing album, they will.

Lisa Engelken's "Caravan"

One of my favorite groups from those halcyon days in DC were "The Zimmermans", fronted by the explosive vocals of "Lisa E", and featuring the songwriting and guitar talents of Jonathan Spottiswoode, the band made its CD debut in 1994 with "CUT". Spottiswoode would go on to NYC with his "Enemies", Engelken would soon make her way to San Francisco and find critical acclaim for her role in the Victoria Theater production of "Hedwig and the Angry Inch". Engelken would ultimately return to her passion, jazz. Following a triumphant concert at the 2008 San Jose Jazz Festival, Engelken ventured into the studio and produced one hell of a gem, "Caravan", including a fabulous reworking of Freddie Hubbard's classic "Red Clay".

Engelken arranged and produced her new album on the Little Angel Records label, alongside some stellar musicians and regular band mates; drummer Matthew Swindells, Mike Olmos and Joel Behrman on trumpet, trombone and flugelhorns, Sam Bevan and Gabe Davis on bass, Adam Shulman and Jarrett Cherner on piano, guitarist Jon Monahan, David Alt on sax and clarinet, percussionist Brian Rice, and Jeanette Sarmiento and Chabela Yringoyen backing her on vocals.

Engelken's soulful renditions actually remind me of the incomparable Flora Purim, who blazed trails with pianist Chick Corea and her percussionist, drummer and husband, Airto Moriera. You can feel the chemistry between Engelken and Swindells; the subtlety and nuanced rhythms she coaxes from the music and the musicians around her is a rare gift and Caravan captures it beautifully.

The soft openings of "We'll Be Together Again" makes way for a swinging little number with Engelken scatting and Swindells' tasty snare and cymbal work. I absolutely loved the horns and clarinet work on "Just One of Those Things", a New Orleans flavored affair. "Canto de Ossanha" is definitely a Purim-like, Brazilian tune, ably accompanied by the backing vocals of Sariento and Yringoyen.

"Caravan", the title cut is indeed a revamp of the harmonies and arrangements of Debussy and the British alt-pop band Radiohead, of all people. Only "Lisa E" could conspire to combine those two influences so effectively. Engelken takes a nice turn with the classic "Afro Blue." The band is tight and the mature approach is about the best I've heard any singer attempt.

OK, I'm a freak for funk, so Joni Mitchell's "Trouble Child" just killed me. Berhman's muted trumpet and Shulman's Fender Rhodes took me back to the days of Randy Brecker and Larry Coryell's Eleventh House. It is perhaps my personal favorite, on an album filled with ass-kicking cuts.

Just when I thought it was safe to go back in the water, Engelken busts out the ever so soft "Winter Moon". I'm a huge Bill Bruford fan as everyone knows, but I must ask, where are all these amazing British jazz drummers coming from? Swindells' brush work on this piece is simply gorgeous in its simplicity. It's what Robert Fripp liked to characterize as "admirable restraint", and what Dizzy Gillespie called, "playing what you don't hear".

"From the Earth" is Engelken's turn at my favorite Freddie Hubbard tune, "Red Clay". I actually saw Freddie's last performance at Yoshi's with Bobby Hutcherson and Lenny White, the original drummer on the Red Clay album, so I was primed for this version. Engelken doesn't disappoint. Olmos and Shulman also do a very fine job backing her as well, on trumpet and piano respectively.

"White Wedding". I always love it when jazz musicians take a beautifully written pop tune and make it come alive, much like Coltrane's "My Favorite Things" or Miles' version of Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time". Engelken also shows her versatility and brilliant skill at arrangement on this popular Billy Idol piece.

I couldn't help but think of Washington's late, great, grand dame of jazz, Shirley Horn when listening to Engelken's version of "Detour Ahead". Like Horn and pianist George Mesterhazy, Engelken and Shulman craft a poignant rendition of the Carter/Ellis/Frigo composition, with a breathless, moody take; a worthy of successor to Shirley's own version I saw performed many times at DC's famed Blues Alley.

There have been some fabulous jazz musicians to come from DC over the last decade or so; pianist Geri Allen, bassist Ed Howard, guitarist Paul Bollenback, saxophonist Ron Holloway, to name just a few. They have become some of the most respected and sought after names in jazz. Add singer, composer and producer Lisa Engelken to that pantheon of great artists. "Caravan" will stand the test of time and is a harbinger of more great music to come. Engelken is having her "Caravan" CD release at the Jazz School in Berkeley on Friday, May 7th at 8 pm and planning a tour in Italy.

Splendido!