Tim Weisberg
Travelin' Light

BBE Music presents the seventh release in its highly acclaimed J Jazz Master Class Series: ‘Evolution’ by Shintaro Quintet. Recorded in 1984 and originally released on the private label Streetnoise Records, ‘Evolution’ is a perfect example of stately modal jazz with every one of its five tracks composed by band leader and bassist, Shintaro Nakamura.A cut from the album, ‘A Blind Man’, was included on the BBE Music compilation ‘J Jazz – Deep Modern Jazz from Japan 1969-1984’, and it’s a track that’s indicative of the album’s graceful blend of spiritual jazz and gently swinging minor blues waltzes, a style favoured by Nakamura that allows the band to stretch out and explore the strong melodic themes, lush arrangements and seductive rhythms.Recorded in New York, ‘Evolution’ features the great Japanese trumpet player Shunzo Ohno alongside a mixed Japanese-American band: pianist Jeff Jenkins, who brings a touch of McCoy Tyner’s percussive blues to the album, has worked with many jazz greats including Freddie Hubbard, Eddie Harris and Clark Terry; US-born Saxophonist Bob Kenmotsu, one- time member of Jack McDuff’s band has also recorded and performed with jazz guitarist Pat Martino; and drummer Fukushi Tainaka, who studied under Philly Joe Jones, completes the solid rhythm section with Nakamura and Jenkins.

LP plus booklet, 500 copies, pressed at PallasWhen arists self-releases their own recordings, they do so in the hopes that a hit might develop,or even better, a sphere of influence might form. In a lot of cases these records provide a stamp ofexistence and intent – a sonic business card showing what musicians were made of. Compass Rises(1973), the privately pressed sole LP by Oneonta, New York’s Compass, is both a sampling ofversatility and a declaration of straight-ahead purpose.Regularly active in upstate New York between 1969 and 1974, Compass was an acoustic-electricquartet that played original music and modern jazz standards. The group consisted of saxophonistand bass clarinetist Rick Lawn, keyboardist Joel Chase, bassist Tom Ives (doubling on flugelhorn),and drummer Al Colone. On the LP, percussion duties were shared across the band as well as anconguero, Ken Parmele.Every song on Compass Rises, with the exception of the opener, is wrien and arranged by Lawn.The album is a nod to the post-Coltrane lineage of 1970’s jazz – even at its most spry there’s anundertow of workmanlike toughness, perhaps a reflection of the industrial-collegiate hybrid townsin New York where Compass plied their trade.Ives’ “Cleanin’ Up” starts the proceedings, a modal groover that would not have sounded out ofplace on a Joe Henderson Milestone LP, coupled with a neat, funky turnaround in the head.“Sunflower” has a slight Latin flavor and while it’s not exactly Freddie Hubbard’s “Little Sunflower,”it does have a lilt that’s both sinewy and breezy, with Lawn’s huskily burnished tenor shimmyingatop. Following the ballad “Waltz for Barbara,” a front line expanded with Ives’ flugelhorn opensup on the driving “Blues for Vito,” dry and cracking rhythm supporting a tough, metallic dance.Side two begins with “Schizoid,” the nasally incision of Lawn’s soprano saxophone in spiraling turnsagainst pummeling toms and Chase’s fuzzed-out intervallic sprawl. “Sour Cream” is a choppy bit ofsoul jazz, while the closing “Pharoah’s Thing” starts off on an elegiac plateau before unfurling witha piquant, minor-key bounce.With its stark, somewhat gothic cover art and toothy, inspired playing and composing, CompassRises deserves the critical examination that it likely didn’t have upon release.About Frederiksberg RecordsFrederiksberg Records was founded in New York in 2013 by Danish video journalist and music loverAndreas Vingaard. The name, Frederiksberg, is the part of Copenhagen where Andreas grew upand first discovered his passion for music.The idea for the label emerged when Andreas befriended renowned Jazz saxophonist, CarstenMeinert. Committed to telling the story of Meinert’s music the right way, Andreas resolved to takefull ownership of the To You re-release (2015). The result has been a rollercoaster journey ofrunning an independent record label.Frederiksberg Records, with roots in Scandinavian Jazz, includes a wide spectrum of genres -electronic, disco, ambient and more [info sheet from distr.]