One of the difficulties being an artist who happens to run a record label is that invariably you find yourself in the position of supporting other people’s music more than your own. Nothing against the artists themselves, of course, it’s just the way o’ the biz. Well, the same could be said of our own Fearless Leader Mr. Jeff Gauthier, who not only has been collaborating with...um...well, you know....as well as many other of L.A.'s creative music artists for some 26-odd years but also released his Goatette’s third album One in the Same last year on Crypto the same time that the label released Bennie Maupin’s Penumbra. But Jeff also collaborated on an ECM-style jazz meets European jazz record with acoustic guitarist Gilbert Isbin and bassist/pianist Scott Walton for the Belgian label/distibutor Jazz’halo. It’s called Venice Suite and it's a good chance to hear Jeff stretch out away from the Crypto umbrella.
Here’s the skinny, from Jazz’halo honcho Jos Demol:
October 5th, 2003: Another rainy day in Brugge! Jeff and I wanted to do some sightseeing. As the weather was chilly, we decided to stop somewhere for a bite to eat and to drink one of these gorgeous Belgian beers, a Triple from De Garre. Later that afternoon we visited guitarist Gilbert Isbin, whom Jeff never met. Things immediately clicked between the two musicians and Jeff invited Gilbert to play a couple of concerts in L.A. in February 2004.
Afterwards, when Gilbert returned home to Brugge, we listened to some recordings that they had made in Jeff’s studio and they sounded incredibly good. It was as if they had been playing together for many years. It seemed obvious that they should make a proper recording some day. That same year Jeff returned to Belgium to do a couple of concerts with Gilbert. We discussed the project and they thought that they would like to record with a bass player. As I was very impressed by Scott Walton’s playing with the Vinny Golia Quintet (check out our twofer TS018/019), I proposed Scott as the right person for this music. Both Jeff and Scott liked Gilbert’s compositions and so the trio was born. We recorded in November 2005 at the Cryptogramophone studios in L.A. with master recording enginee! r Rich B reen. The whole project was recorded in only two afternoons.
The result is amazing! There are two suites of improvisations on this recording; the Venice Suite for the trio, on which Scott plays the piano in a most wonderful way, and the Brugge Suite for violin and guitar duo, documenting the original duo of Gilbert and Jeff. There was electricity in the air! We hope you enjoy this CD as much as we do.
Still not convinced? Check out the recent review from Glen Astaria at eJazz News:
It’s a joint production taken on by Southern California-based Cryptogramophone and the Belgian, Jazz’Halo record label by a trio that irrefutably rises to the occasion. Violinist and Crypto label chief Jeff Gauthier established a rapport with Belgian guitarist Gilbert Isbin via some California concerts and an interest in each other’s artistry. Subsequently, fellow West Coast musician bassist/pianist Scott Walton was deemed the right man for the job with rounding it this wonderfully enticing and genre-hopping studio date. In effect, there’s quite a bit going on under the proverbial hood. Gauthier combines the flair of a concert violinist with dense improvisational acumen to complement the musicians’ weaving of hypnotically melodic lines with richly textured themes. They often interrogate each other’s voicings while occasionally mixing it up within avant-garde like frontiers. On the piece titled “Shine,” the violinist executes a sweet melody atop Isbin and Walton’s bouncy undercurrents. Yet, the trio also inject moments of dissonance into the grand scenario where plots develop and ultimately morph into a regeneration of musical notions. Then on “Why Was That,” Isbin lays down a haunting ostinato as Walton subsequently stretches out with ascending lines. For the finale, the trio covers fabled song sleuth Nick Drake’s “River Man.”. Finesse, discernible ingenuity and a highly entertaining form-factor are but a few of the attributes uttered throughout this unit’s musicality.
Another artist on Cryptogramophone who is about to break the waves is keyboardist David Witham, whose second solo album Spinning the Circle drops this May, the same time as the new CD by the...uh, "Nails Shine Singers." David describes himself thusly:
I am a pianist primarily, but I also use synthesizers, samplers, and various other noisemakers in my music. I studied piano with Jaki Byard at the New England Conservatory of Music, and Alan Broadbent in Los Angeles. I have current writing and performing associations with saxophonist Ernie Watts, bassist / composer Jay Anderson, the Jeff Gauthier Goatette, and percussionist Luis Conte.
I've been Musical Director for George Benson since 1990, and have served as a producer for Tom Scott and Grover Washington. Recording and performance credits include Lee Ritenour, Patti Austin, k.d. lang, Missiles of October, Chaka Khan, Jose Feliciano, Eddie Harris, Bluezeum, Charles McPherson, Joao Bosco, Larry Carlton, Maxi Priest, Chick Corea, Michael and Randy Brecker.
Since 1999 I've been producing a television show centered around music and performers called Portable Universe for Long Beach Community Television. The show airs every Friday at 6 p.m. on Channels 65 / 95 / 69 in Long Beach and Signal Hill and features artists from around the world.
Look for more info on David W. and his exciting new music in future posts!
ONTO OTHER NEWS. . .
We'd like to give Big Ups to two class acts on the jazz scene in Los Angeles: Greg Burk and Brick Wahl. Both used to write for the LA Weekly and wrote some fine copy on Crypto artists (among many others) even before the Fearless Leader hung out his shingle. Crypto received the sad news recently that both our boys got either laid off (not the good kind) or had their services severed curtailed at the magazine over the last two months. (What the hell is happening over there? Hmmm, maybe I should read more blogs...)
From Greg:
"You do know me as a plain, blunt music journalist who writes about heavy metal, jazz and other kinds of mostly extreme music. Since leaving LA Weekly in late 2006 after 27 years, I have been writing occasionally for LA Times, and will continue to write for other publications. But there's a lot I want to say anytime I feel like it, so I have created my own site for words about music, www.MetalJazz.com, the first issue of which now exists. You can subscribe to my weekly/biweekly postings by going there and hitting updates by email or rss. And there's space for your own comments if you feel like blabbing. Issue 1 contains words about L.A. shows this weekend; reviews of Shirantha Beddage, the Esoteric, Rez Abbasi, Skip Heller and Steve Roden; and an observation about. . .Elaine Pagels, scholar of early Christianity, and how she relates to heavy metal. If you're a publicist, a musician or some other kind of music-industry professional, you can update your surface-mailing information to my non-Weekly address by hitting information at www.MetalJazz.com or mailing [email protected]. May the Great Spirit be with you."
Bless you, Greg. Happy writings, compadre.
Check out Mr. Burk's first L.A. Times piece. It's a stellar review on sax legend Arthur Blythe's 2-night stint (with Crypto's "house drummer" Alex Cline sitting in). To check out Mr. Burk in the flesh, he offered insightful commentary for VH1's Heavy: The Story of Metal.
From Brick:
"The LA Weekly is getting rid of freelancers like myself and will be turning the listings over to a staffer (that right...we're being in-sourced). I'll be doing a couple jazz picks a week instead. (Almost the same money for 95% less work, so it works out fine for me.) It's been a blast, people. I hope the listings have helped. Be seeing you about."
Check out some of BRICK'S JAZZ PICKS for the LA Weekly.
A writer in the Jazz Arena: Blogosphere Division should be Big Upped as well:
Bret Primack started the first Jazz blog in 1998, Bird Lives, where as the Pariah, he fought a never ending battle for truth in the Jazz biz. Primack was a respected Jazz journalist who was also a web pioneer when he decided to pose as the Pariah and write diatribes directed at the injustices of the music industry. Bird Lives quickly caught on and became a talked about website, entertaining many, and ruffling a few feathers a long the way. Several thin skinned record company executives even threatened Bret with lawsuits.
But after September 11th, Bret decided to focus on other targets, and he suspended the site.
Now, Bird Lives returns, as Bret's Video Blog. For the past three years, Bret has produced videos for such artists as Sonny Rollins, Billy Taylor and Joe Lovano. And with the advent of web video, he decided to utilize this new medium to tell his stories in a new way.
The first edition features a Tribute to Michael Brecker, which includes rare interview footage Bret did with Michael, as well as an amazing performance of the Saxophone Summit (Brecker, Dave Liebman and Joe Lovano), Live at Birdland in 1999.
Bird Lives also serves as a video portal, and includes Bret's favorite YouTube videos, as well as links to other relevant video on the content the web.Please tell your friends and visit, without fail.
And lastly but not yeastly, our elder statesman Bennie Maupin recently played a critically acclaimed (and sold out) show at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Downtown L.A. It was a tribute to the ailing hard bop pianist Horace Silver (who also just published his autobiography) and it was worthy of a mention by Don Heckman in the LA Times.
Dr. Bennie had better get his rest -- he's got quite a few gigs coming up. Check 'em out on the Cryptogramophone tour page.
And speaking of touring, Crypto's OTHER house drummer Scott Amendola was profiled by our bud Bob Gendron at the Chicago Tribune. Thanks, Bob! (The hookers are on their way up...)
Oh, and by the way, NELS CLINE.
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