Phil Markowitz

Chet Baker's personalized style was well served later in his life, and as his days in Europe were more conducive to his personal lifestyle, it also gave his music a chamber-like quality while maintaining modern mainstream values. Broken Wing is a combination of the two aspects of Baker's understated romanticism, the deep-seeded pain through his drug abuse and the humanity that lies underneath the rough-hewn surface of his tattered heart. ~ AllMusic

Chet Baker’s 1978 European tour with pianist Phil Markowitz, bassist Scott Lee, and drummer Jeff Brillinger produced several recordings of varying quality. Live at Nick’s is considered a classic, whereas Two a Day, recorded only one month later, is less consistently rewarding. The tapes on which Oh You Crazy Moon is based were recorded live in Stuttgart within the same few weeks as the Two a Day concerts, and are certainly worth hearing, if not quite essential.

Though Bob Mintzer normally works in the big band tradition, the tenor saxophonist does the occasional small combo session as well. In the Moment is one of those rare sets, recorded in one December 2004 session with the rhythm section of pianist Phil Markowitz, bassist Jay Anderson and drummer John Riley. A completely straightforward mainstream jazz set in the post-bop tradition, In the Moment mostly consists of originals (the highlight of which is Markowitz's lovely ballad "Forgiveness"), with a respectful take on the ballad standard "Time After Time" and a playful, swinging version of Eddie Harris' soul-jazz hit "Listen Here" thrown in for variety.

Chet Baker - The Sesjun Radio Shows (2010) {2CD Set, Beeld En Geluid PRCD2010091 rec 1976-1985}
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© 1976-85, 2010 Beeld En Geluid / T2 Entertainment | PRCD 2010091
Jazz / Cool / West Coast Jazz / Trumpet

Chet Baker was often not at his best in later years, taking nearly every live gig or recording date regardless of whether he was physically and mentally up to it (due to his longtime drug habit) or the musicians were truly compatible. Happily, Baker is in top form during these live broadcasts from the Sesjun radio shows (which aired from 1973 to 2004) in The Netherlands. The first four songs feature Baker with his regular pianist Harold Danko, bassist Cameron Brown, and flutist Jacques Pelzer. The breezy rendition of "There Will Never Be Another You" comes across effortlessly, with fine solos all around and the leader offering a strong vocal and intricate trumpet in the ensembles.

There's a 20-plus-year span between electric guitarist Hahn's Brotherhood recordings and this CD. In between he's gone from hippie to tweed suit while establishing the jazz guitar studies program at Wichita State University, taking residence in Portland and Denver, and doing this date in NYC with all-stars bassist Steve LaSpina, drummer Jeff Hirshfield, either pianists Phil Markowitz or Art Lande, and soprano saxophonist David Liebeman for two selections. Hahn's influence on Pat Metheny, John Scofield, John Abercrombie, Mike Stern, and Bill Frisell is clear. He uses a little delay, echo, and reverb, just enough to enhance his improvisations, and when he's technically concentrating, he can easily be coarsely sparse and sharply staccato, elongated from a chordal standpoint, a bit twangy, and consistently tasteful…

The Bob Mintzer Big Band has been a part-time affair for the past 18 years, but somehow the orchestra always manages to sound like a regularly working band. The premise behind Gently was to have the Mintzer Big Band playing at a lower volume, with lyrical arrangements by the leader, along with a greater use of muted brass and flutes. However the orchestra still romps in places and the tempos vary. The big band (which boasts impressive musicianship) features solos from Mintzer on tenor, trumpeters Scott Wendholt, and Michael Mossman, trombonist Michael Davis, pianist Phil Markowitz, altoist Pete Yellin and others, with drummer Peter Erskine driving the ensembles.

Yellowjackets reedman Bob Mintzer, best-known outside that group for his big band recordings, steps out in a more straight-ahead jazz direction with Quality Time. Several of the tracks have a feel similar to the Yellowjackets acoustic work, while "All Is Quiet" sounds like a Coltrane ballad from the mid-'60s. On eight of the album's ten tracks, Mintzer's supporting cast includes pianist Phil Markowitz, bassman Jay Anderson and drummer Peter Erskine. The remaining two cuts are probably outtakes from recent Yellowjackets' recording sessions, with Mintzer playing bass clarinet beside Russell Ferrante's clavinet on the group-written "Emit A1," and the quartet showing its acoustic chops on "Family."