Jazz
Jon Gordon, “Within Worlds” (ArtistShare). Cool school — new millennium version. Youngish alto saxophonist Gordon is old enough to have once played with, yes, Red Rodney, Barney Kessel and even Roy Eldridge. And the redoubtable Phil Woods was a mentor. But you’ll have no difficulty hearing this fine disc as mainstream post-bop on the left wing — and not just because the disc cover comes with quotes from Jung, Einstein and Chief Seattle as well as Charlie Parker, (along with a composition called “Suite — Notes on Freedom” whose first movement is named “Notes on Fascism”). It has the brainy acoustic cool of the best downtown jazz. That’s especially true when guitarist Ben Monder is around to bring his sensitive playing from the Bill Frisell/Pat Metheny wing of jazz guitar to the proceedings. Gordon is a fleet and passionate player but even at his outermost moments, there’s a controlled musical sensibility. No Woodsian lion is he. An exceptional and varied disc from a musician who pleases by having only himself to please. ★★★( Jeff Simon)
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David Liebman, Roberto Tarenzi, Paolo Benedettini and Tony Arco, “Negative Space” (Verve). Among next year’s “Art of Jazz” visitors to the Albright-Knox Gallery auditorium will be Dave Liebman, many people’s nomination for the best soprano saxophonist in jazz since the death of John Coltrane and Steve Lacy. This 2005 concert in Florence with Italian musicians is definitely lesser Liebman — a happy visiting American jazzman giving Florentines some “Poinciana” and “Afro Blue” for the proper allusions to Ahmad Jamal, Sonny Rollins, Mongo Santamaria and John Coltrane, but probably not giving us the best he could give with American musicians. There are some great current Italian players — most notably pianist Enrico Pierarnunzi — but these aren’t among them. ★★ 1/2 ( J.S.)
