Charles Mingus Quintet The Charles Mingus Memorial Album

Ted Sirota's Rebel Souls - Seize The Time (2008) {Naim Jazz NAIMCD115}
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© 2008 Naim Jazz | NAIMCD115
Jazz / Contemporary Jazz / Neo-Bop / Post Bop / Modern Creative

The fifth recording for Ted Sirota's Rebel Souls continues on the path of celebrating freedom fighters the drummer/leader is inspired by and admires. This version of the band retains saxophonist Geof Bradfield and welcomes new members Greg Ward on alto sax (from Broken Things), guitarist Dave Miller (taking over for Jeff Parker), and bassist Jake Vinsel (in for Noel Kupersmith). The multi-cultural jazz concept of Sirota remains, using African-based ideas merged within a progressive jazz and modern creative framework, while also paying tribute to two late pop music icons – Bob Marley and Joe Strummer. Sirota's drumming itself is self-assured and melodic, working off precepts from jazz greats like Art Blakey and Max Roach, while also taking into account a communal tribal village concept that makes the Rebel Souls a tight-knit unit.

Brahms' only Piano Quintet in F minor, Op. 34, had a turbulent history before finally taking its rightful place as one of the composer's most sublime chamber works. The quintet began its life as a string quintet; pressure coming from Brahms' friends eventually saw the string quintet's score destroyed in place of a sonata for two pianos. Though Brahms was fond of this version, further suggestions found hard at work on a third and final change in instrumentation, which resulted in the work we know today. At only 31 years of age, the sophistication found in this score is nothing short of profound. Brahms varies the voicing to achieve a nearly symphonic sound on one end and a tenderly intimate chamber feeling on the other.

The Latin Jazz Quintet had an odd history. The short-lived group, which had quite a bit of turnover during its life, is today best-known for two sessions (one for New Jazz and a more obscure set for United Artists) in which it was joined by Eric Dolphy. Those two dates (particularly the New Jazz outing) found Dolphy largely ignoring the Latin Jazz Quintet and vice-versa; at no time does the adventurous soloist and the more conventional ensemble react to or even acknowledge each other! Conga player Juan Amalbert was the original leader of the LJQ with the lineup on their first recording (the Dolphy New Jazz date) also including vibraphonist Charlie Simmons, pianist Gene Casey, bassist Bill Ellington, and Manny Ramos on drums and timbales…