Uri Caine Toys

Don Byron - Nu Blaxploitation (1998) {Blue Note ‎7243 4 93711 2 5}
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© 1998 Blue Note / Capitol Records | ‎7243 4 93711 2 5
Jazz / Jazz Funk / Post Bop / Funk / Clarinet

Jazz clarinetist Don Byron likes to focus on specific musical styles. He's released albums filled with Latin jazz (Six Musicians), the klezmer music of Mickey Katz (Don Byron Plays the Music of Mickey Katz), and the repertory works of Duke Ellington, John Kirby, and Raymond Scott (Bug Music). Now for his sixth solo release, Nu Blaxploitation, Byron offers up a musical evocation of '70s funk, including a nod to hip-hop by way of a Biz Markie guest spot.

Uri Bracha’s music is a unique blend which expresses the multiple cultures in Israel and in the Middle East with Brazilian and jazz music. His music influenced by traditional jazz such as Miles Davis and well-known guitar players such as Pat Metheny and Paco de Lucia.

Despite the fact that alto saxophonist Uri Gurvich is Israeli and that his debut CD is on the Tzadik label (as part of its "Radical Jewish Culture" series), The Storyteller only sounds parenthetically Jewish. The leader traffics in strong melodies and compelling rhythms, regardless of their motific foundation. And certainly the improvisatory methodology on display by Gurvich, pianist Leo Genovese, bassist Peter Slavov and especially drummer Francisco Mela owe a greater debt to post-bop than pizmonim. And when the album features a second saxophone (Chris Cheek's tenor) and Genovese switches to Fender Rhodes for a pair of tunes, the aesthetic becomes highly reminiscent of early fusion experiments.

After the release of the celebrated The Storyteller, saxophonist and bandleader Uri Gurvich's widely acclaimed debut on Tzadik, he became quite busy as a sideman, with Chris Potter, John Zorn, Joe Lovano, Dave Liebman, and others, as well as becoming a member of his drummer Francisco Mela's Cuban Safari. For BabEl, Gurvich brings back the same international ensemble: the Cuban-born Mela, Argentinian keyboardist Leo Genovese, and Bulgarian bassist, Peter Slavov. The guest spot this time out is filled by Moroccan oud master Brahim Fribgane. Gurvich's compositions rely heavily on motifs from Israeli and Arabic music, but also on the musical traditions of the Sephardic Jews. The band's multi-national makeup also reflects influences ranging from Latin jazz and tango to modal jazz and rock. It's in this collectivity and what results that BabEl succeeds in spades.

"Jon Irabagon releases the latest installment of his I Don't Hear Nothin' but the Blues series, adding rising star Ava Mendoza to his no-frills, brutal ensemble.