This is an angular and abstract album of progressive jazz from a collective unit consisting of Jim Hobbs on alto saxophone, Mary Halvorson on guitar and Taylor Ho Bynum on cornet and brass. The music has an sharp cornered and edgy feel with ominous overtones flowing through it, like walking through a closed carnival late at night, where shadows and un-nerving noises lurk in wait. The performances are a mix of Jim Hobbs compositions like the lengthy title track and high-wire free improvisations credited to the group as a whole. The short collective improvisations are quite exciting like “The North Wind” or “Bimini Road” where the group develops a short pointed performances spontaneously. Hobbs’ own compositions go into greater textural depth, using the full palette of sounds available from the trio. Hobbs and Bynum spit and slur their lines obscuring the music until the mostly short pieces become one haunting sphere of sound. Mary Halvorson alternatively strums her guitar and hurls bolts of nervous energy complementing the other two instruments and adding to the atmosphere of the recording. As the Crow Flies – amazon.com

President Theodore Roosevelt’s famous quote, “Walk softly and carry a big stick,” epitomizes Linda Oh, the soft-spoken bassist/composer who draws total respect with her intrepid musicianship. With her highly acclaimed self-released debut, Entry (2010), and increased visibility through recording dates and gigs like m: Dave Douglas ‘ “Tea for 3″ Tour, Oh is emerging as one of jazz’s bright performers…

This album showcases the talents of two young, talented, Scandinavian jazzmen: Danish pianist Rasmus H. Thomsen and Swedish saxophonist David Ehrlin. It is flawed by lack of direction, occasional pretension, and the inclusion of strings on four numbers, but hints very strongly at greater things to come from both players…

This is a very nice post bop quintet session with excellent band interplay. Led by drummer Tomas Fujiwara and consisting of Mary Halvorson on guitar, Jonathan Finlayson on trumpet, Trevor Dunn on bass and Brian Settles on tenor saxophone. The band achieves a very potent and progressive sound, with the leader providing ever shifting and pulsating rhythms accompanied by rock solid bass. Settles and Finlayson make for an excellent front line, playing in unison and soloing well, but the real center of attention is Mary Halvorson, who seemingly has the ability to dictate the feeling of the music at will with gentle strums, probing strokes and electric shards of guitar that permeate the music. The album is well paced with short nimble selections like the brisk “Double Lake, Defined” leading into the later longer works “Smoke Breathing Lights” and “Postcards” which build dynamically to powerful and satisfying conclusions. The payoff is that this is an excellent album, with suburb ensemble and group playing. The musicians in their group all have their own groups and configurations, but hopefully they will be able to reconvene and record again soon, because they’re on to something special here. The Air is Different – amazon.com

If the seminal punk bands Black Flag or the Dead Kennedys were to jam with members of Sun Ra’s Arkestra, the Art Ensemble of Chicago, and James Brown’s JBs, the end result might sound a bit like the Dead Kenny Gs, who are coming to St. Louis next Saturday, May 26 to perform at 2720 Cherokee.

The music of percussionist/vocalist Mike Dillon, saxophonist/keyboardist Skerik, and bassist and saxophonist Brad Houser has been dubbed “punk jazz”, since it combines the thrashing beats, heavy riffing, and angry and/or satirical lyrics associated with punk rock with an ever-shifting variety of other styles, from marches to funk to skronk to surprisingly lyrical passages dominated by Dillon’s work on vibraphone.

Although Dillon and Skerik have played St. Louis before with the band Garage a Trois, this will be the St. Louis debut for the DKGs, and so today we’ve got a half-dozen clips to help you get acquainted with their music.

The first selection up top, “Black Truman (Harry The Hottentot),” was recorded last June in Delray Beach, FL and serves as a fairly concise example of the group’s eclectic approach, as it shifts rapidly through a variety of styles in just a few bars.

Down below, you’ll find three examples of songs that help bring out the “punk” aspect of the group, starting with “I’m Your Manager, I’m Your Pimp,” recorded live at Red Rocks in Colorado. Below that are two numbers with some socio-political implications: “Kill the Poor,” recorded last June at a show the DKGs opened for quirk-rock band Primus; and “Death Panel,” which comes from a July, 2010 show in Asheville, NC.

Below that, clip #5 offers almost 50 minutes of music recorded in January of this year at a venue called Crowbar in Tampa, FL. While the video quality of this recording (done by an audience member) isn’t very good – it’s dark, and apparently shot from a fixed position at far stage right – the audio actually is quite nice, and it provides an instructive example of how the band integrates its various elements to put together a whole set of music.

As a coda to the set, the final clip is a 2009 interview with Skerik and Hauser. For more about the Dead Kenny Gs, check out this 2011 Los Angeles Times interview with Skerik; this 2011 interview Dillon did with the website Pop-Break.com; and this feature story on Jambands.com, also from 2011.

Resonance Ensemble

Donna Summer (1948-2012), disco's larger-than-life chanteuse who changed the genre's direction with recordings marked by soaring vocals, glamorous sexuality and a Euro-gospel delivery, died on May 17. She was 63.

Summer's recordings first began to take hold in clubs in 1976, when disco as a genre was still splintered and lacked a unified identity. Up until then, disco had been an hyperactive offshoot of black and white soul. But between Summer's cooing intensity and Giorgio Moroder's wedding-cake orchestral productions, disco's image and sound crystallized. From that point forward, disco would have a distinct, lush sound. [Pictured above, Donna Summer and Giorgio Moroder]

Backed by elaborate strings and horn arrangements, a sling-shot bass line, and a bouncing-ball beat, Summer took charge of songs but never overplayed her vocals, setting new standards that other disco divas found difficult to match. Her voice could be deceptive. Most people think of Summer as a brassy belter but, in fact, her delivery exhibited an unusual level of soul-chill and low-temperature sensuality, which managed to garner universal appeal. 

Though Summer's disco hits elevated her to stardom, they also made her something of a punchline for a music style that is still unfairly ridiculed. As a result, the music's perceived superficiality was unfairly hung around her neck, and for years she had to endure a stereotype that her own hits created. Summer's inability to gain a place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame certainly has been a result of the judges' shortsighted ambivalence and a puzzling inability to take disco seriously.

Summer's finest album remains her first club sensation—Four Seasons of Love. The 1976 album predates her parade of familiar hits. Instead, the concept LP merely features four extended tracks that center on a love affair over four seasons. This is Summer at her best and the way frequent club-goers remember her best during diso's Romanesque period—before Saturday Night Fever (1977) turned the genre into a rococo coming-of-age soundtrack for those with newly minted driver's permits. 

If you want to hear Summer at her best—before the "greatest hits" period—give a listen to Four Seasons of Love. You'll find it at iTunes and at Amazon here. The album remains a work of art.

Jimmy Forrest radio. Today (Saturday), my boy "Symphony Sid" Gribetz climbs behind the mike to chatter and spin the studio platter during a five-hour special radio broadcast celebrating the career of tenor saxophonist Jimmy Forrest. Tune into New York's WKCR on your computer from anywhere in the world by going here. The show airs from 2 to 7 p.m. (EDT).

Lou Costello. Yes, I'm still on an Abbott and Costello kick. Here's Lou Costello on This Is Your Life in 1956…

Beach Boys. Ross Porter, CEO of JAZZ.FM91 in Toronto, sent along this one…

Satchmo at the Waldorf. Terry Teachout tells me that Shakespeare & Company’s production of his play, Satchmo at the Waldorf, starring John Douglas Thompson and directed by Gordon Edelstein, will transfer directly from Lenox, Mass., to Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven, Conn., opening the season there. Previews start on October 3 in New Haven. Opening night is October 10 and the show will run through November 4. Way to go, Terry! For more information and tickets, go here.

This Is Spinal Tap on jazz. Regal record promoter Dick LaPalm sent this one along…

Rare jazz books. One of my favorite virtual bookstores is Ted Hodgetts' Jazz First Books. He has a jaw-dropping collection of jazz books dating back decades. The covers alone will keep you spellbound.

Oddball album cover of the week. This early 12-inch compilation of singles for Plymouth by Hen Gates and His Gaters features genius art direction. First, the front cover lists just four titles followed by "etc." while the back cover has no track listings. Best of all, the cover appears to feature every single instrument that would be left behind by rock and roll.

Resonance Ensemble

Alto saxophonist and composer Darius Jones completes the first trilogy in his Man’ish Boy series with this album accompanied by Matt Mitchell on piano, Trevor Dunn on bass and Ches Smith on drums. The music has the ability to move from bop-based jazz to free music, using space and sound as a malleable substance. Jones uses his deep and piercing saxophone tone to develop texture and sonic waves to great effect and the quartet develops as an organic entity, mindfully channeling their own transitory nature to keep the music fresh and alive. “The Enjoli Moon” opens the album with pinched and ripe alto saxophone playing a circular melody over bouncing piano chords as Jones further develops his impressive solo statement, building in fast and raw. A sweet melody, gentle as a lullaby is featured in “The Fagley Blues” which also incorporates a fine piano, bass and drums section, before Jones returns with the rhythm section deftly supporting him. Jones’ yearning, dark hewn sound imbues “My Baby,” playing over a jagged piano, bass and drum backdrop. “You Have Me Seeing Red” has strong, fast group playing moving into an emotionally wrought saxophone section which evolves into the gentle ballad “So Sad” which is dark and haunting. I liked this album a lot, it had a searching, seeking tone that was emotionally resonant and very impressive. The artwork is extraordinary too, making me wish for a vinyl version. Book of Mae’Bul: Another Kind of Sunrise – amazon.com

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