Jazz Pyramid

This is a strong recording from the Modern Jazz Quartet, with inventive versions of John Lewis' "Vendome," Ray Brown's "Pyramid," Jim Hall's "Romaine," and Lewis' famous "Django," along with cooking jams on "How High the Moon" and "It Don't Mean a Thing." The MJQ had become a jazz institution by this time, but they never lost their creative edge, and their performances (even on the remakes) are quite stimulating, enthusiastic, and fresh.

In the late '60s, Earland became one of the stars on the B-3 organ and earned a classic with 1969's Black Talk. Like many organ players in the '70s, Earland moved over to the Fender Rhodes, the Mini-Moog, and the ARP string synthesizer with mixed results. This 1977 album is the follow-up to 1976's Odyssey. While Earland's skills are never in question here, the execution and the style are the problems here. Although many players legitimately started to do more material pertaining to the universal, even zodiacal concerns, by this time it was becoming old hat. The title track is symptomatic of Earland's the more pensive direction and even emotive Gabor Szabo's guitar solo; can't save the "deepness" from being cloying. Of course with albums of the type, the biggest success comes when the artist isn't really trying.

Jaga Jazzist return with their new album Pyramid, where the legendary Norwegian eight-piece takes a deep dive into post-rock, jazz and psychedelia influences. It’s their first album since 2015’s Starfire, their ninth album in a career now spanning four decades, but it marks the group’s debut on Brainfeeder, the LA-based imprint curated by Flying Lotus. On Pyramid, Jaga Jazzist have crafted a suitably cosmic sound to match their new label home, all the while nodding to forebears spanning from 80s jazz band Out To Lunch and Norwegian synth guru Ståle Storløkken, to contemporaries Tame Impala, Todd Terje and Jon Hopkins. Each of the album’s four longform entries evolves over carefully plotted movements, the tracks’ technicolour threads dreamily unspooling.

Azteca - Pyramid Of The Moon (1973) {2013 Remastered & Expanded - Big Break Records CDBBR0206}
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© 1973, 2013 Columbia / Big Break Records / Cherry Red Records | CDBBR 0206
Rock / Jazz / Fusion / Funk / Latin Rock

A really special record from a really special group – one of two sublime 70s gems from Azteca – a wicked blend of jazz, funk, Latin, and soul – all put together by a young Coke Escovedo! Coke's ostensibly the leader of the group, but there's also a richly collaborative feel going on – a style that brings together jazz players like Tom Harrell on trumpet, Mel Martin on saxes, George Muribus on Fender Rhodes, and Flip Nunez on organ – and Latin players like Victor Pantoja on congas, Coke Escovedo on timbales, and Pete Escovedo on added percussion. In fact, the set's a key early example of the strength of the Escovedo family – and like their best later efforts, the set really stretches out and pushes the boundaries of conventional genres. There's also some great guest work from Lenny White on drums, Mike Nock on keyboards, and Neal Schon on guitars – and vocals are by a range of singers who really keep things fresh.

They've done this in the past, back in the days of 'Masque' and 'Do They Hurt', when where they'll do one or two numbers with a 'steppin' out' rhythm (examples: AWB's 'Pick Up the Pieces' and Janet Jackson's 'What Have You Done For Me Lately'), but fully half of this album has that same quarter note-driven rhythm. It's an interesting mix–that sort of beat behind guitarist Goodsall's crisp tonalities. The track 'Virus' at nearly eight minutes is the longest one they've done in at least fifteen years. This album isn't as minimalist as its predecessor 'Xcommunication', which was based almost entirely on guitar, bass and drums–they use a session keyboarist occasionally, along with some new MIDI-powered synth and sampler tonalities done by Goodsall.

Cannonball Adderley - Pyramid (1974) {Fantasy OJCCD-952-2 rel 1997}
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© 1974, 1997 Fantasy Records | OJCCD-952-2
Jazz / Soul Jazz / Hard Bop / Jazz Funk / Saxophone

Cannonball Adderley is in generally good form on this 1974 recording. His Quintet at the time featured cornetist Nat Adderley, keyboardist Hal Galper, bassist Walter Booker and drummer Roy McCurdy. Guests on some selections include guitarist Phil Upchurch, keyboardist George Duke and (on "Bess, Oh Where's My Bess") veteran pianist Jimmy Jones. The emphasis is on recent group originals including the three part "Suite Cannon," two Galper compositions and Cannonball's "Pyramid." Nothing too earthshattering occurs but this is an improvement over many of Adderley's Capitol recordings.

Reissued on CD by the Black Saint/Soul Note labels, this entry from Paul Bley's IAI label features fairly free playing from an unusual trio comprised of Lee Konitz (on alto and soprano), keyboardist Bley and Bill Connors on electric and acoustic guitars. Actually, due to the free nature of the pieces, the music is less exciting than one might hope. Everyone takes chances in their solos but several of the pieces wander on much too long. Overall this session does not reach the heights one might expect from these great players.