Pianist and composer Noam Lemish, born in the United States but spent much of his childhood in Israel, has been on the faculty of York University’s Department of Music (based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada) for almost six years. He’s also released numerous albums as a leader since moving to North America over 20 years ago. His original music has myriad influences, from his native homeland to classical composers of the 20th Century to blues and jazz. Lemish is also a fine arranger, as one can hear on his 2022 album, “12”.
For his new album, titled “There’s Beauty Enough in Being Here” (TPR Records), the pianist puts himself and his music in the center of a quartet composed of Sundar Vishwanathan (alto and soprano saxes, bansuri), Andrew Downing (acoustic bass), and Nick Fraser (drums). Many listeners know of Messrs. Downing and Fraser as they are two of the premier rhythm section players in Canada. Mr. Vishwanathan is a new name for this writer yet he has had a long and varied career, having worked with the likes of Andrew Hill, Joe Lovano, Dave Douglas, and Kenny Wheeler to name but four.
The nine-song program, all originals, is rich with melody and interplay. Listen to “Kadrin Gatshor (Gratitude)” below:
It’s a soulful melody with a lovely soprano sax atop the piano accompaniment and the rolling rhythm section (listen to drummer Fraser accent the melody with his snare). Over his past few albums, Lemish’s music has grown in its emotional intensity. Notice how Vishwanathan’s singing soprano sax playing illustrates that.
Other pieces tgat stand out for their blend of melody, emotion, and strong soloing are “Aviv (Spring)”, “San Francisco is My Copenhagen” and the title track. After a flowing solo piano opening on “Aviv”, the rhythm section roll in leading the way to the melody, again featuring soprano sax. This time, Lemish shares the thematic declaration with Vishwanathan. Both musicians solo with great passion, interacting along the way, pushing each other before a handsome bass solo from Downing. “San Francisco…Copenhagen” speeds out of the starting blocks, with its powerful melody line spelled out by piano and alto sax. The beat settles into a bluesy shuffle for Lemish’s delightful, playful, solo in which he and Fraser play off each other. The tempo picks back up for the alto solo which also features the soloists and drummer pushing and prodding at each other. The title track is another ballad featuring Vishwanathan’s singing soprano sax. This is arguably the loveliest melody on the album. Lemish’s solo has a stately beginning before moving into the improvsiational dance. The soprano solo builds the pianist’s explorations, dancing atop the impressive rhythm section.
“There’s Beauty Enough in Being Here” closes with “Kadrin Gatshor (Reprise”). Vishwanathan states the melody on bansuri (an ancient Indian side-blown flute) all the way through before the pianist (the only other musician on the track) brings the song to its gentle completion. There is so much music on this album, so well-played, with each musician listening, responding, making great decisions within the flow of each song. Noam Lemish and ensemble have created worlds of “beauty” with this album––you’ll want to get lost in these sounds time and again.
Here’s the opening track from the studio sessions:
For more information, go to www.noamlemish.com/.
Cellist and composer Tomeka Reid is such a busy player but always seems to find to “hit it” with her Quartet composed of Mary Halvorson (guitar), Jason Roebke (bass, cassette), and Tomas Fujiwara (drums). Formed in 2015, the group has now issued four albums and each one illustrates new strengths and compositional growth.
The Quartet’s brand-new album, aptly titled “Dance! Skip! Hop!” (Out of Your Heads), lives up to its name. In fact, the title track opens the program in impressive fashion. The funk rhythms resemble some of the music Henry Threadgill wrote for his Sextett. Cello, guitar, and bass share the melody while the drummer does a nifty soft shoe routine with his brushes. The spirit of cellist Abdul Wadud (1947-2022) is always present in Ms. Reid’s playing, especially the brilliant pizzicato work during her solo. Ms. Halvorson;’s solo on the opening track is delightfully skewed but she’s feeding off the rhythm. Roebke and Fujiwara play off each other later in the piece, never losing the rhythm. Before the 10-minute piece comes to an end, the drummer creates an impressive dance around his kit before the other three musicians return to take the piece out.
Listen below to “Oo long”:
Like the opening track, there’s an engaging rhythm. Ms. Reid and Ms. Halvorson play the opening melody over the bouncy bass line and rhythm dance. The cellist takes the first solo, a playful pizzicato dance with a touch of blues. The choppy guitar accompaniment feels just right. After the cello steps away, Ms. Halvorson steps on the volume and roars her way through a raucous solo that kicks up the energy in the rhythm section. The interaction between the two lead voices leads the piece out.
The Quartet does have a softer side. The longest piece on the five-song program, “Under the Aurora Sky” (11:50), opens on a quiet bass, cymbals, brushes, and “clicking” guitar––the cello enters, bowing the melody, the deep tones of the instrument standing out. Ms. Halvorson’s solo starts out quietly and soon goes into a conversation with the cello, playing unison lines, before the guitarist steps over the bass and drums. Her slow, single-note, runs also feature her electronics as a counterpoint. Ms. Reid’s solo is next, the deep bowed notes opening to little squeals as the rhythm section throbs below. Listening to the solo, which extends nearly five minutes, has a mesmerizing feel and leads to a frenetic finish (which, one might argue, has a cathartic feel.
The album closes with another slower piece, “Silver Spring Fir Tree”. The guitar, cello, and bass state the melody before Roebke takes the first solo. That leads to a rubato section notable for Fujiwara’s array of shaken instruments. As the quartet moves away, the cellist plays a simple bass line while Ms. Halvorson plays with noisy abandon. Soon, the guitar, bass, and cello play in unison while the drummer creates a soft yet intensely exciting drum solo (you have to hear it to understand the juxtaposition). A pizzicato cello solo leads the Quartet in the final several minutes, Ms. Reid also displaying an intensity that also has a melodic side.
“Dance! Skip! Hop!” is finely recorded, each instrument standing out in the mix and none overwhelming the others. The Tomeka Reid Quartet is a band of master musicians unafraid to play with fire as well as take a gentle approach. Ms. Reid’s compositions gives everyone plenty of room to create special worlds and impressive improvisations. Dig in and you’ll want to dance along!
For more information, go to https://tomekareid.com/.