CD Review: Matt Dwonszyk - Live at the Side Door

 

Matt Dwonszyk

Live at the Sidedoor

(Self-released) mattdwonszyk.bandcamp.com/album/matt-dwonszyk-live-at-the-side-door

The title of bassist Matt Dwonszyk's third album proves this album was recorded at Old Lyme, Connecticut's Side Door, but the tenor saxophone/trumpet melody of "Morning Dreams" could have come from the Village Gate in the early '60s, following a modern double-stop bass groove that launches it. The stop-start section of "Stage Dive" also has a punchy score that evokes prime-era Horace Silver. Saxophonist Matt Knoegel even squeezes in a quote from Silver's "Stop Time" for cred. The audience seems to like it, based on the somewhat excessive "woo"s that come during this track.

Dwonszyk - last seen in these parts as a member of saxophonist Julieta Eugenio's trio - has known the members of his own quintet since as far back as high school, in some cases. All attended the Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz in Hartford, where they all developed some serious chops. On first blush, they seem locked into a certain period of hard bop: the time before the popularity of "The Sidewinder" required every such quintet to include at least one funky blues or boogaloo on their album. They play no boogaloos here but their bop is pretty hard.

Yet, halfway through the 10-song set, things shift. First Dwonszyk presents a one-chorus reading of "Gloomy Sunday," plucking the haunting melody with drama. Instead of having the band join him for a full version, it acts as an interlude to his own "Ms. Smith," a moody ballad where his original gift for melody comes out. "Billy's Den" continues by building suspense with a chromatic riff that gets devoured by Knoegel and trumpeter Josh Breneau (who seems to borrow that "Stop Time" lick this time).

By the time they get to "Alexandre the Great" Knoegel really starts to show his own voice and ideas. Pianist Taber Gable follow suits in "Mode for Rene," pounding the keys not like McCoy Tyner, but in his own way, closing things with an indication that original voices are coming out in this group. Upon return listens more original subtleties - like the way Dwonszyk and Gable launch the first track - come out a little more.

At times, the hard bop setting feels comfortable for the group. Sure that template is a good one, and learning those classic nuances takes some serious brain power. But it's also important to hear players take those lessons and develop them further. Dwonszyk and his band have the Silver/Jazz Messengers ideas down. It will be interesting to see if they follow the lead of groups like the Cookers, who expand the comfort zone of straight ahead blowing.

Stein, Smith, Shead, Frisell, A Bangle and a Cowsill - What a Week That Was

Clearing the deck of a few shows from a few weeks past, because they are still worth hearing about.

On Sunday, May 31, Jason Stein, Damon Smith & Adam Shead rolled into Cleveland to play two sets at Waterloo Arts. The fine folks with New Ghosts, who have presented shows around town at places like the Bop Stop, organized the show. The space has a bit of a DIY feel, with couches interspersed with a bar (which was closed that night) and stools, which made it a comfortable spot for the trio.  

Stein (bass clarinet), Smith (bass) and Shead (drums and things) had been on my mind for a few weeks leading up to the show, since I reviewed their three-disc Five Nights In the Midwest set for JazzTimes. By listening to it, along with last fall's Live at the Hungry Brain (in which pianist Marilyn Crispell joins the band), I got pretty tuned in to the ways that the trio interacts during their improvisations. But I've seen the trio in person before and looked forward to seeing them in action anyway.

There were moments during both sets when Jason Stein took a breather, but he was blowing most of the time and never seemed at a loss for ideas. During the first set, he slide from soft lines to wild overtones in the same breath. When Shead went to town on his cowbells, Stein testified over the clatter. 

Damon Smith was the most visually arresting member of the trio, taking the idea of extended technique and stretching that to a point that it would break in lesser hands. It was hard to get a definitive picture of what he does because he often moved so quickly that he was on to something else by the time I decided to get the camera out. In addition to bowing in the traditional way, he also went below the bridge. There were moments when two bows were threading between the strings (a technique that I'm sure isn't easy) and detuning his low E string until it barely hung on the instrument - and he still produced some rich sounds. His work also yielded some complex plucking and slow movement up the neck,  

Adam Shead - who looked like Sebadoh/Dinosaur Jr. member Lou Barlow, when trying to get a good photo - had one of the most unique trap sets this side of Han Bennink. Along with "standard" snare drum and kick, he had trio of cowbells, a few mini-tymps (similar to roto-toms) and two sets of mini-cymbals, mounted three on a stand. While Shead can definitely play across his kit rapidly (which reminded my ears of Jim Black's work in Bloodcount), some of the more fascinating moments came when he focused on one element of his kit, developing a sound around it. That effort recalls the way free improvising horn players don't merely wail on altissimo notes for a whole set but take their time working towards a climax. 

It would have been amazing to hear the trio together with Crispell (who played select dates with them on this tour) but they presented plenty of mind-blowing moments on their own.

At the other end of the spectrum, at the end of the same week (Friday, June 5 to be exact), Bill Frisell opened his set at Pittsburgh's City Winery with a gentle reading of "Moon River." (One has to wonder if it was an acknowledgement of Henry Mancini, who grew up down the river in Aliquippa.) Hearing that sound - so languid and gentle yet rich at the same time -  and it was clear that it could be no one else but him on that Telecaster. No one else would wrap up that standard with a loop of noodly effects either.

Bass guitarist Luke Bergman and drummer Tim Angulo provided strong support, leaving wide open spaces where needed and getting more dramatic (Angulo switching to mallets) as the situation required. Frisell fine-tuned his strings a few times while playing and the vibrations could be felt between the notes, like slow-moving waves. 

He didn't talk too much throughout the night, so some of the selections were left to guesses. A Monk-like blues didn't sound exactly like any of Thelonious' works to my ears (it actually felt closer to "Evidence"). If he did follow "Moon River" with "I'm An Old Cowhand," the set included two songs from the Grant Green album Talkin' About!, since his encore featured a psychedelic take of "People," the Barbra Streisand tune from Funny Girl that closes Green's 1965 album. He wrapped up the proper set with an impassioned version of "We Shall Overcome," where every harmonic rang out, giving weight to the spiritual. 

I've always said Frisell's former bandmate, drummer Paul Motian, could speak volumes with just the tap of a ride cymbal. It appears that Frisell can do the same by plucking any harmonic on the fretboard. That sound fills the room.

Getting a parking spot in the Strip District before the Frisell show turned into a bit of a challenge. The same wasn't true earlier in the week on Tuesday, when Vicki Peterson and John Cowsill played the same venue. The couple was backed up by a group of Pittsburgh musicians. known as Jill's Jagoffs due to their connection with the late Jill Sobule (see my preview of the show for details). 

With only one practice together prior to the show, the whole group pulled off the set skillfully. And that intro to "Hair" isn't exactly simple. The evening really ran the gamut, with hits from both the Bangles (Peterson's band, if you haven't figured that out yet) and the Cowsills, interspersed with several songs from the couple's new album Long After the Fire. All the tracks for the new release were penned by John's late brothers Barry and Bill, which yielded plenty of introductory stories onstage. 

Stories in fact, were a huge part of the show, with the couple bantering back and forth in a manner that almost felt scripted but ultimately came across as natural in the way their thoughts tumbled over one another. The best story of the night came before "Indian Lake," a song which the Cowsills once dropped from their set. That happened at a time that the family group was hoping to break out of their squeaky clean image. A loud fan in the audience was upset and kept yelling for it, to no avail. Only later did they find out the voice requesting it was none other than Brian Wilson.

In putting together a preview article (without getting an interview), there were virtually no articles about Vicki Peterson that did not mention the Bangles huge hits, "Manic Monday" and "Walk Like an Egyption." Decent songs sure, but it overlooks the band's early, more garage-y style. (Besides, Peterson only sang lead on one verse of one of the songs). So it was a wild surprise that they saluted the late Prince by playing his composition (which was credited to a pseudonym), "Manic Monday." Even wilder was the encore, which explained why each table setting had a kazoo waiting for patrons. Yes, it was "Walk Like an Egyptian," with the audience filling in for the cheesy synth break. 

Hokey? Maybe, but it was fun. And I played in bands with at least three of the people onstage with them, so it was cool. If only I had brought my copy of the first Bangles EP with me. I would have had a reason to wait in the long merch table line.

Jazz From the Past Month. Were You There?

Our journey back to shows that occurred over the last few months takes us to early May and City of Asylum, or more specifically to Alphabet City, CoA's performance space/bookstore/restaurant. The organization has been presenting their Jazz Poetry events since 2005. Although they have not been booking national jazz acts as frequently as they were a few years ago, they still remain a vital part of the community, where people come to absorb the music and poetry of the night.

This year's Jazz Poetry series kicked off with a performance on May 7 by the Messthetics & James Brandon Lewis. Dr. Lewis (he is one now) is no stranger to CoA, having played their last year for the event, and the group also rocked Club Cafe a couple times. But this was the first time this particular unit collaborated with exiled poets sponsored by their hosts.

The blend of poets and free jazz musicians could be a recipe for disaster. But the writers who come to City of Asylum (from various countries around the world) have always been consistent in both their writing and their reading skills. No overly dramatic delivery or up-tics at the end of lines. 

Rania Mamoun, Volodymyr Rafeyenko and Mark Andryczyk (who acted as translator for Rafeyenko) all delivered strong performances, and the quartet came up with music that was loose and open but ultimately complemented the writers, definitely not overpowering them or underscoring the musical aspect.

Then it was time to rock out. I wondered how the literary and jazz crowd would take to a band that includes the one-time rhythm section of Fugazi, a guitarist who uses multiple effects pedals to shred and a tenor saxophonist who can stand toe-to-toe with these cats. Things were loud enough that Lewis had to gesture to the soundman several times to get his monitor level turned up, but it didn't detract from his playing. 

Anthony Pirog is sitting in the picture above, but that shot was taken when he was playing with the poets. For his set, he stood and the electric fans on stage got his hair blowing, which made him seem like the Rock God that he is. After kicking off the set with the title track of their latest album, Deface the Currency, they immediately dug into "That Thang" a track from their previous album with a dirty, funk vamp, which was deep in the pocket. I was satiated there but there was plenty more to come.

Bassist Joe Lally was a study in understatement. He didn't get flashy, but he built a solid foundation for his comrades, which is exactly what they needed. On drums, Brendan Canty set the grooves on fire, kicked up the energy for Pirog and Lewis, and ringing that bell of his.

No one ran away screaming that night because of the volume. Like their last visit to town, they brought love to the room with their aggressive music.

The following Thursday pianist Marta Sanchez played a Jazz Poetry night, but I missed it, due to work. But I was at Government Center on May 15, for an evening that celebrated the release of 2 of 3, an album by bassist Dylan Zeh, drummer Ross Antonich and saxophonists Erik Lawrence and Derek Bendel. (Each side features one of the saxophonists with Zeh and Antonich, hence the album title.)

The festivities, so to speak, began with Lawrence playing in a duet with vibraphonist Jeff Berman. The former played a couple different flutes (love the bass flute) and saxophones (including a curved soprano and baritone). These guys have a long-standing rapport and it was clear during their set, which was purely improvised but often had the feel of composed work. Or maybe they instinctively went into a tune together. 

It should be mentioned to 2 of 3 is actually the third album that Zeh has released on his Fleur imprint, all of which feature Bendel. Their first release was the bold Musically Yours - A Tribute to Sam Rivers, which was recorded just a few months after its honoree's 100th birthday. Zeh lived in Florida, where he was turned on to Sam Rivers' work, and it just so happens that the composer/saxophonist/flutist's archives are stored at the University of Pittsburgh, so he was able to look original scores when getting a set together. 

Lawrence doesn't appear on that album but he performed with the band live, which is completed by Antonich and flutist Trē Abalos. At the sessions for that album, Zeh and Bendel recorded a series of duets that were released in a self-titled disc with art tby Carol Goss that paid homage to a Sam Rivers/David Holland album that she also drew.

For the second set, the quartet from the album took the stage for a spontaneous conversation. Both saxophonists played together this time. Bendel doubled on bass clarinet, the sound of which carried a little better off the stage of Government Center. But as the video below shows, the baritone and tenor worked really well in tandem. (Maybe it was my ears that missed some of the sounds.) And Antonich  always conveys excitement by the way he looks while playing his kit. 

Towards the end, Berman came back onstage to get in on the action. 

I realize the audience for free music isn't huge but it would have been nice to see a few more faces from the Messthetics show in the crowd, checking this out. What would it take? More hustling? More info from people like, coming in a timely manner? 

I suppose this seems like a good time to plug Sonic Pit, the Substack page (or is it a blog?) that I'm doing with Scott Mervis and Manny Theiner. That site promises more previews of shows, something that Pittsburgh hasn't seen as much lately. It's free to subscribe, so check it out. And keep checking here too, of course.

Catching Up on the Other Stuff or I'm Not Just on Substack These Days

For those who didn't know, I am one of three Pittsburgh writers who launched a space on Substack last month. It all started when Scott Mervis, until recently the music critic at the Post-Gazette, was not hired on by the paper's new owners. He was talking to Manny Theiner, a Pittsburgh fixture who has been putting on shows for ages and also knows his way around a descriptive phrase. (He wrote for InPgh and Pittsburgh City Paper much like me.) The two of them started hatching ideas about starting a "super blog" and my name got pulled into the conversation. I wasn't going to say no to another chance for my writing to get out into the public. The power of three is always a good thing. Being a Libra, I'll keep things balanced too. 

On May 13, Sonic Pitt made its debut. If you want to check it out, here's a good place to start. Please like some of the articles and considering subscribing, There are both free and paid subscriptions. The more we have, the better chance we have of thriving. 

So that has taken up quite a bit of time lately, in the best possible way, of course. There's a show coming up? Hey, I can preview it, for the first time in a while! With Scott's pull, I might even get some new eyes looking at my articles too, hopefully checking out music. 

While all that has been happening, though, I have been thinking that I want to keep this blog alive as well. Granted the traffic isn't quite as heavy - though the number of readers for my last few posts is kind of high, so thank you all for that - but I still feel like this is a valuable outlet, writing about new albums that deserve recognition, reporting on live shows and the occasional post about some record I picked up recently and why you should care about it. 

That being said, it's time to do some catching up. For that, I'll begin several weeks back, before even Sonic Pit was a reality. 

On the last weekend in April, the NFL Draft took place in Pittsburgh. I'm not a fan of such hoopla so it was just another weekend for me, albeit one where the city was expecting huge throngs of people to descend on our city. Apparently they did, but local businesses didn't see the spike they were anticipating. 

I mention all this because, despite being right on the edge of the area where the draft was happening (on the North Side), Government Center still hosted a show, which featured the Ithaca, NY band Material Objects (pictured above). The 54D bus stops pretty much outside of my house and passes within a block of Government Center, so it was a good night to utilize public transit and check out the action. 

Locals Bat Radar and Ampersandband opened the show. I've seen and played shows with the former band many times but hadn't seen the latter before, and hope to again. Material Objects had kind of a thick, somewhat droning guitar sound (somewhere in the lineage of Mission of Burma songs like "Dead Pool," sans tape loops), accentuated by the use of cello.  Their CD In Revision sounded a little more to my ears like Chicago post-rock, with the cello underused or mixed low, but still cool.

A few days later, the New Pornographers came back to town, for the first time since 2017, I believe. They were back at Mr. Small's Theatre, having played Stage AE last time. As I was driving into Millvale to the show, I saw a guy standing on a corner who looked a bit like NPs bassist John Collins. Luckily I was able to find a parking spot right there and ran up to the fellow before he had a chance to walk away. Sure enough - it WAS John Collins. (Full disclosure - John mixed a few songs by my previous band, the Love Letters, and he's a really nice guy to boot.) Always good to catch up with musical acquaintances. 

The show opened with a solo set by Will Sheff, one-time (maybe in perpetuity) singer of Okkervil River. His band opened for the NPs in town many moons ago, and some friends of mine weren't taken with what they considered scenery-chewing, Nick Cave-inspired dramatics onstage back then. Me, I thought he was fine. Tonight there was none of that, just a man and his guitar, playing some songs that were dramatic but pretty arresting too. On top of that, Sheff's current look was reminiscent of Abbey Road-era John Lennon too.

A question loomed in my mind that night: what kind of set would the New Pornographers deliver? The new album, The Former Site Of, is pretty strong, but has a noticeable lack of guitars, except for maybe rhythm parts. (It also had a lyric sheet, which might be a first for them, and a very welcome addition.) Further, who would be in the band tonight?

The personnel onstage included longtime member Kathryn Calder (above) on keyboards and vocals. Neko Case was not there but the other vocal chores were handled skillfully by Jess Nolan, who was on the other side of the stage, flanking Carl Newman (below). 

The set was a great mix of tunes from the new album along with classics like "The Laws Have Changed" and "Testament to Youth In Verse," the latter written by off-and-on member Dan Bejar, and handled ably by everyone in his absence. Finally, the group totally slayed me by including "The Bleeding Heart Show," one of my favorite songs across the board. The climax of it got me hopping around like I was at a tent revival, which probably looked a little goofy but at that point, I didn't care. The music took over.