If anyone needed further proof that pianist/composer Danilo Pérez represents a beacon for the future of jazz, Providencia should do the trick. Embracing classical, jazz and folkloric traditions, Pérez roots his multifaceted compositions—whether through-composed or freely improvised—in the human experience. It’s tragic love, the wonder of a child, the will to a better future that animate him—never music for music’s sake. Nine original tunes and two standards are performed by a variety of combos, from a small chamber group to a sax/piano duet. Alto saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa, whose angular, urgent playing fills every note, deserves special mention. (MM)
Chance Accidental Shrines (Big Moist Records)
Trusting in their delightful chemistry, saxophonist/session leader Tim Zannes, bassist Luís Guerra, and drummer Brandon Draper collaborate on two Zannes originals and four standards. They take Jerome Kern out for a walk on “Yesterdays.” They strip down “What Is This Thing Called Love?” to bare essentials, with Zannes’ laconic lines and dense tone peeling back the inessential. His nuances light up “Ghost of a Chance” from within. The trio takes a softer approach to Zannes’ bluesy original “Nola,” and they burn through Wayne Shorter’s “Footprints.” With music this satisfying, let’s hope Zannes and friends play out around town more often. (MM)
The Shivas Freezing To Death (Closet Trekkie Records)
The Shivas doesn’t need trendy mod gear or rocker leathers. The simple but lovely and exciting songs sound like Lenny Kaye’s classic Nuggets collection that championed unsung garage combos before the drugs took over completely. If The Shivas brings any particular ’60s group to mind, it’s Sacramento’s Public Nuisance before that band succumbed to the self-important “message” psychedelia. From Vancouver, The Shivas quietly came to town on a Tuesday night this July but didn’t leave quietly. A small, appreciative crowd made the combo feel welcome enough to promise a return to Albuquerque in March. Tasteful, fun and rockin’. (CA)
