*KCUR checked in with Samantha Ege about her reconsideration of Nora Holt.
*Joe Dimino interviewed Addison Frei and Dave Scott.
Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes
Original image by Plastic Sax.
Album Review: Addison Frei- Coin Flip
Heads, Bill Charlap. Tails, Brad Mehldau. The title of Coin Flip might be interpreted as references to the output of the heralded piano trios led by Bill Charlap and Brad Mehldau. Addison Frei may not be quite as accomplished as those jazz luminaries, but the album released in July indicates the musician raised in Lawrence, Kansas, is becoming increasingly worthy of comparison to elite pianists. Joined by bassist Tamir Shmerling and drummer Diego Joaquin Ramirez, Frei alternates between evoking Charlap’s mainstream elegance and Mehldau’s piano trio explorations. Coin Flip’s most rewarding moments occupy the sweet spot at the high-flying intersection of the two approaches.
Album Review: Addison Frei- Time and Again
Addison Frei established a reputation as a fine mainstream jazz pianist several years ago. With Time and Again, the former resident of Lawrence, Kansas, seems to have made the daunting leap from good to great. A prestigious rhythm section helps Frei make the significant breakthrough. Bassist Ben Wolfe and drummer Terreon Gully provide impeccable support. Frei’s playing suggests he’s aware of contemporary innovators like Brad Mehldau even as he remains rooted in the classic sound of pianists such as Tommy Flanagan. A rendition of Irving Berlin’s “Remember” is the height of elegance while “Ramble for FK” is a gussied-up blues. The curiously formal and unexpectedly exceptional Time and Again is a timeless statement.
Album Review: Cowboys & Frenchmen- Our Highway
Our Highway, the latest album by the New York based quintet Cowboys & Frenchmen, could be Exhibit A in a trial assessing the impact of jazz education. The frequent target of disparaging essays, institutional jazz academia is said to produce precise but bloodless musicians who more often than not, resemble the five bespectacled men in Cowboys & Frenchmen.
The topic should also be of interest to anyone with a stake in area jazz programs such as the UMKC Conservatory. Cowboys & Frenchman’s place in the debate is of particular interest to area observers because Addison Frei, the ensemble’s pianist, was raised in Lawrence, Kansas. Frei’s bandmates are saxophonist and flautist Ethan Helm, saxophonist Owen Broder, bassist Ethan O'Reilly and drummer Matt Honor.
In making a case against jazz education, the prosecution might insist Our Highway exemplifies the stilted rigidity drilled into students in high school and collegiate programs. The cerebral album is neither freewheeling nor funky. Our Highway is better suited to formal concert halls than neon-lit music venues.
The defense might reply that Our Highway is deeply melodic, immaculately performed and unflaggingly interesting. The band has completely absorbed the compositional structures of Oliver Nelson and Charles Mingus and displays the technical rigor demanded by Duke Ellington. My vote? Not guilty.