This month on the Last Call we present several new and recent recordings which explore the frontiers of jazz and set up an irresistible groove. Corey Wilkes & Abstrakt Pulse /Cries from Tha Ghetto/Pi Records Wilkes is a rising star on the international jazz scene. Named to the DownBeat International Critics’ Poll in the Rising Star Trumpet category for the past two years. Wilkes received airplay on Last Call in the last few years with his debut as a leader on the energetic Drop It. With a combination of fire and artistic maturity Wilkes has rapidly climbed to international renown. He came to the attention of Roscoe Mitchell, a founding member of Chicago’s Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) in 2001 at the age of 22. The following year, Wilkes was asked to join The Art Ensemble of Chicago, taking the place of the legendary Lester Bowie who passed away in 1999. Corey Wilkes played on the band’s latest recording: Non-Cognitive Aspects of the City – Recorded Live at the Iridium (Pi20). The new recording from Corey Wilkes features his band Abstrakt Pulse with Kevin Nabors on tenor, Scott Hesse on guitar, Junius Paul on bass, Isaiah Spencer on drums, and tap dancer Jumaane Taylor, each an up-and-comer on the Chicago scene. The record tastefully combines the accessibility of a mid 1960s Blue Note date with the more adventuresome influence of the AACM. Cries from Tha Ghetto does not disappoint. John McLauglin-Chick Corea/Five Peace Band Live/Concord Fans of classic 70s fusion need look no further than to the new 2 disc set from Jazz giants Guitarist John McLaughlin and Pianist Chick Corea. They have formed a new outfit, Five Peace Band, comprised of some of the most accomplished musicians of the past 20 years--Bassist Christian McBride, Drummer Vinnie Colaiuta, and Saxophonist Kenny Garrett. Herbie Hancock is a special guest on one of the tracks, an outstanding rendition of "In A Silent Way/It's About That Time". This extended track was orginally recorded in the fertile Miles Davis studio sessions of the late 60s, in which McLaughlin and Corea served as sidemen. Later they went on to form the Mahavishnu Orchestra and Return to Forever, respectively, in addition to careers as renowned musicians. After working as a sideman for Miles in the 1980s Garrett has enjoyed his own successful career as a saxophonist and bandleader. The Five Peace Band is an astonishing convergence of musical talent which explores the frontiers of jazz in very creative ways. Artist Spotlight: Bill Frisell Guitarist Bill Frisell will bring his band to the 2009 Toyota-Scion of Iowa City Jazz Festival in July (You can find out more about the festival by visiting our Jazz Calendar). Frisell is well known for his signature guitar style, which emerges from folk and embraces the use of electronic effects to explore the frontiers of jazz. A prolific recording artist, his records have been featured regularly on the Last Call. Frisell's recordings include The Sweetest Punch, a seven-piece jazz ensemble reworking the tunes written and recorded by Elvis Costello and Burt Bacharach on Painted from Memory. Of more recent vintage are the recordings Unspeakable, East/West, Floratone, and History, Mystery. During the month of June I will feature selections from those recordings. Additionally I am also working on setting up an interview with Bill Frisell. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Here are some other gems I recommend: Fareed Haque + The Flat Earth Ensemble: Flat Planet/Owl Records Last Call listeners who are fans of the enchanting South Asian rhythms that have fueled recent efforts such as Miles from India will find themselves eager to listen to Fareed Haque's latest. Haque's appearances include the recent Dixon-Rhyne Project effort and the jam band supergroup Haque helped to form, Garaj Mahal. Both of these have been featured on the Last Call previously.   An educator at Northern Illinois University, Fareed Haque is an accomplished master at both jazz and classical styles of guitar. His virtuosity rapidly becomes apparent as the Flat Earth disc begins to spin-- the fusion of Hindustani folk music and groove jazz in a compelling combination which is hard to resist. Haque leads the outfit which is comprised of David Hartsman on reeds, Rob Clearfield and William Delisfort on keyboards, Alex Austin and John Paul on basses and Cory Healey and Jason Smart at the drums, Subrata Bhattacharya, Jim Fiest and Salar Nader on tablas and Kalyan Pathak on dhol and sticked percussion. Highly recommended. Richie Goods & Nuclear Fusion: Live at the Zinc Bar/Independent Release Bassist Richie Goods recorded an outstanding night of live music that was released earlier this year. The date at Greenwich Village's Zinc Bar included Fusion Jazz innovator Drummer Mike Clark whose career includes a legendary stint with Herbie Hancock's Headhunters. Guitarist Jeff Lockhart and Keyboardist Helen Sung complete the band which achieves stunning group interplay on several fusion classics as well as compelling originals by the bandleader. Richie Goods says of the recording: "When the four of us played together for the first time that night at the Zinc Bar, I knew the equation was balanced. I could only marvel as this perfect mix of talent and energy became like a nuclear explosion, igniting the stage and exciting the audience in one beautiful chain reaction. The best way I can describe what moved through me as we played was that Holy Ghost feeling you get after a good sermon in church. Just like the chemical reaction for which the band is named, the members of Nuclear Fusion create an energy that is so much more than any of us individually. That’s how good music is made." Rob Mazurek Quintet/Sound Is/Delmark Records Probing the frontiers of Jazz, trumpeter Rob Mazurek and his quintet explore a program of all originals which vary from celestial meditations to full throttle explosions of sound. Mazurek, on the cornet, synth and piano, leads this fearless outfit which includes John Herndon on drums and percussion, Matthew Lux  on bass guitar, Josh Abrams on acoustic bass and piano and Jason Adasiewicz on the vibraphone.  The debut record of the quintet is a must have for fans of cutting edge music. Omar Sosa Sextet/ Across The Divide/Half-Note Records Led by Cuban Pianist Omar Sosa, this sextet recording is an Ancient to the Future musical listening experience, deeply grounded in ancient Afro-Cuban rhythms and yet boldly exploring the frontiers of electronic sound. The pianist's artistic conception is propelled by his deep spirituality and respect for the voices of his ancestors. The result is a profoundly moving experience of swirling, dreamlike music which at times recalls the Herbie Hancock Mwandishi Band.    The Bad Plus/For All I Care/Heads Up This band has earned a reputation over the last several years as iconoclasts. An acquired taste to many, refreshingly outrageous to others, The Bad Plus is joined by vocalist Wendy Lewis on this new effort. Once again, The Bad Plus- Ethan Iverson on piano, Reid Anderson on bass and David King on drums, with the addition of Lewis, present a remarkable session of originals and covers of pop and rock tunes delivered in a jazz context.  But that context is delivered in the trademark Bad Plus style--the fearless free-spirited demolition of expected chord structure and melody into something completely unexpected. Listen to versions of "Barracuda", "Lithium", and "How Deep Is Your Love" for examples of the band in peak form. The band visited Omaha in April! The Bad Plus website is www.thebadplus.com . Listen to an interview with the Bad Plus bassist Reid Anderson. Check out a concert with the band recently presented on JazzSet,    Lisa Sokolov/A Quiet Thing/Laughinghorse Records When I first heard Lisa Sokolov a few years ago I was amazed. Her vocal delivery is unlike any Jazz vocalist I have ever heard. In her freewheeling delivery which can go unexpectedly from an intimate whisper to a passionate shout, Lisa mines the depth of human experience without fear--and in doing so is a very welcome presence. On her new recording A Quiet Thing Lisa follows up her 2004 release Presence(which receieved 5 Stars in Downbeat Magazine) with another disc which explores standards in ways never before conceived or attempted--with astonishing results. Memorable vocal solo performances at the piano are mixed with recordings with John DiMartino on keyboards, Cameron Brown on bass and others. Lisa is also a noted educator, and is the Director of The Institute for Embodied VoiceWork in New York. Joshua Redman/ Compass/ Nonesuch Redman's latest is a delightful mix of straight-ahead and avant-garde tracks that are enhanced by the presence of two bassists and drummers on many of the tracks. Listeners may recall that similar approaches to creating music were tried in the late 1960s and early 1970s, for comparison's sake Les McCann did in fact use two bassists as well as multiple drummers/percussionists for his legendary recording, Invitation to Openness. For this 2009 date with saxophonist Redman, the bandleader is joined by bassists Larry Grenadier and Reuben Rogers and drummers Brian Blade and Gregory Hutchinson. The disc features a suite of tunes that voyages through late night territory marked by signposts such as "Insomniac", "Moonlight", and "Ghost". Their appeal is hard to resist if you are a fan of progressive jazz.  The son of legendary saxophonist Dewey Redman, Joshua has been a constant presence on the international jazz scene since the late 1990s, recording and performing worldwide. Last summer he performed at the prestigious Iowa City Jazz Festival.  Last Call host Chris Cooke recently interviewed Joshua Redman over the phone, and he discussed in detail his music and influences and the new record.  You can listen to that interview by clicking here. Rudresh Mahanthappa's Indo-Pak Coalition/ Apti / Innova Saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa is an incredibly prolific artist. Bursting on the scene just a few years ago, he had demonstrated his rich, sublime artistry on many records. His Indian-American heritage informs this talented reedman whose voice is unlike any saxophonist heard previously by this reviewer--and is richly rewarding.  Mahanthappa's appearance on the Grammy nominated 2008 Miles from India was further confirmation of his place on the international music scene. The saxophonist's latest recording features a trio comprised of the reedman with Rez Abbasi on guitars and Dan Weiss on tabla. The results are intoxicating-check out the title track and "Adana" for a stimulating listening experience, which is only the beginning on another rewarding date with Rudresh Mahanthappa. Visit the NPR website for an interview with Rudresh Mahanthappa presented on Fresh Air.   Joe Zawinul and the Zawinul Syndicate/ 75 / Heads Up He lived 75 years and in those years became the greatest electronic keyboardist in all of jazz. The Cannonball Adderley pianist whose work with Miles Davis helped launch fusion jazz, Joe Zawinul is also known for co-founding the jazz supergroup Weather Report. Since the late 1980s Zawinul has lead his own band which has created an intoxicating mix of jazz and world music. The keyboard legend recorded a series of powerful live performances  with his Zawinul Syndicate in the summer of 2007 at the Lugano Jazz Festival. The band included Zawinul on keyboards; Sabine Kabongo on vocals and percussion; Alegre Correa on guitar and vocals and berimbau; Linley Marthe on bass; and Paco Serry on drums and percussion and vocals & Jorge Bezerra and Aziz Sahmaoui on percussion and vocals. Spirited performances of familiar Zawinul tunes such as Fast City/Two Lines and Badia/Boogie Woogie Waltz are presented. Also included in this very special two disc set is a very moving final live performance with Weather Report co-founder Wayne Shorter of "In a Silent Way." For Joe Zawinul and Wayne Shorter & Weather Report fans, this 14 minute long heartfelt duet is worth the cost of the two CDs. Performed on August 2, 2007 at Veszprem, Hungary, this was the next to last performance of Zawinul’s life. Joe Zawinul passed away on September 11, 2007. This is a very fitting tribute to his immense talent and musical genius. The Rocco John Group/Devotion/Creative Artists Productions The latest release from this band based out of the New York area, the Rocco John Group continues to create their own potent mix of Avant Garde jazz. Led by saxophonist Rocco John Iacovone, Iacovone's music is as strongly influenced by John Coltrane's spiritual message as it is the lessons learned from studying with saxophone greats Sam Rivers and Lee Konitz. The result is a solid session that engages and challenges the listener, comprised of all originals. Riffin' For Eric, Mischievous Mystic and Dreams are standalone gems from the disc which also contains the ambitious and inspired Devotion Suite. Iacovone, who leads the band on alto and soprano saxophones, is joined by Mike Irwin on trumpet, Aaron Keane on Bass and Dalius Naujokaitis on drums and percussion. Visit www.roccojohnmusic.com .  Listen to our interview with Rocco John Iacovone  The Avant-Garde legacy of Blue Note records to be featured throughout 2009.. Simply put, I had too much music to play for you from Blue Note in January!! This jazz host barely scratched the surface of the rich catalog of Blue Note avant-garde recordings. So, I will continue to present from time to time more gems from this rich treasury of music throughout the year. That music was not created in a vacuum. The 1960s was a time of great political and social upheaval. Vietnam, the Civil Rights Movement, assassinations, and the emerging youth counterculture created a well of inspiration for musicians of all kinds. Jazz musicians in many cases, emboldened by the freeing of chord constraints, were emotionally moved by the swirling and turbulent circumstances of their time to create music which reflected that uncertain feeling. Sessions led by Chick Corea, Wayne Shorter, Tony Williams and others on Blue Note in the 1960s explored the frontiers of jazz and, eventually, presented recordings that heralded the birth of jazz rock with a bold mix of acoustic and electronic instrumentation. We'll take a look back at many of these daring recordings throughout the year. As always, thanks for listening to the Last Call and keep tuning in on Saturday nights at 11pm on KIOS-FM.

LAST CALL ROTATION

Week of July 6, 2009 Artist/CD Title/Record Label STEVE RAYBINE / IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT / BAD KAT RECORDS MIKE CLINCO / NEON / WHALING CITY SOUNDS JAKE HERTZOG / CHROMATOSHERE / THAT'S OUT RECORDS ORAN ETKIN / KELENIA / MOTEMA RECORDS KYLE EASTWOOD / METROPOLITAIN / RENDEZVOUS LUCIANA SOUZA / TIDE / VERVE EAST WEST QUINTET / COMET / SELF RELEASE STEVE LEHMAN OCTET / TRAVAIL, TRANSFORMATION, and FLOW / PI RECORDINGS JOEL HARRISON / URBAN MYTHS / HIGHNOTE RECORDS CHARNETT MOFFETT / THE ART OF IMPROVISATION / MOTEMA RECORDS RENTED MULE / X / SELF RELEASE JACK DeJOHNETTE / MUSIC WE ARE / GOLDEN BEAMS