This project – not so much the listening, but the writing about each record – is turning into a major research project.  I’m learning tons, and enjoying the music so, so much, but running out of time.  I can’t write as fast as I can listen, as it turns out.  So, henceforth, these posts will be less involved.  I’ll try to make them better than a list, but not as awesome as a dissertation. Next up, Jerry Bergonzi, Tim Berne, and Gene Bertoncini.

Jerry Bergonzi – somewhere, I have a copy of The Jerry Bergonzi Quartet, an LP that features Bergonzi and Bruce Gertz (that’s the whole band, but the music is a quartet – cool, eh?), but can’t seem to find it.  Must have misfiled it.  I’ll get to it eventually.  Same with Con Brio, a band (that features Jerry), which is also the name of a tune of his, and the name of the album.  Have to wait until letter C for that.  But for now, we have Uranian Undertow.  This is a trio date with Gertz on bass and Bob Gullotti on drums.  Opens with “Con Brio,” and features some really incredible music.  Gonz sounds incredible, as always.  Bruce’s electric bass playing always surprises me, since I think about his double bass playing so much, but so rarely his electric bass playing.  It’s totally great.  Gullotti is fantastic, of course.  It’s a funny thing, writing about an album by one of my all time favorite teachers.

Tim Berne – Fulton Street Maul – Since I have this on LP, not CD, I have only listened to it a couple of times (Poisoned Minds: The Paris Concert, on the other hand, I have listened to tons of times – I love that album).  It’s totally great, and I need to listen a bunch more.  It’s like Arthur Blythe meets Julius Hemphil meets…?  Such a nice, interesting album.

Gene Bertoncini – I bought Bridges and O Grande Amor mainly because I wanted to check out Michael Moore.  Also, Bertoncini was held in such high regard by musician friends of mine, I knew that these records would be great, even if I wasn’t specifically listening to Michael Moore.  And I was right.  Bridges is extraordinary.  It’s beautiful, and the connection between Bertoncini and Moore is amazing.  O Grande Amor is a collection of bossa nova tunes, starring Edison Machado, the great Brazilian drummer.  To me the highlights are Moore’s performance of the melody to “Chega De Saudade,” and the excellent version of Clare Fisher’s tune “Pensativa.”  You would think that I was specifically looking for versions of “Pensativa” when I bought the records, what with another great version being on Bridges.  I wasn’t obsessed with that tune then, but I am now.

Next up: the word Black.

Best, R.