John Patitucci - Songs, Stories and Spirituals

[Other Steve]

[I originally wrote this review for a New York-based magazine, but since few of you will have seen that, I thought I'd share it.]

John Patitucci
Songs, Stories and Spirituals
(Concord)

John Patitucci - Acoustic and Electric Bass
Brian Blade - Drums, Percussion
Tim Ries - Flute, Alto Flute
Sachi Patitucci - Cello
Thomas Patitucci - Nylon String Guitar
Richard Rood - Violin
Luciana Souza - Vocals
Ed Simon - Piano, Percussion
John Thomas - Vocals

Bassist John Patitucci has long been associated with some of the most complex and cerebral figures in contemporary jazz, from Chick Corea’s Elektric Band’s fusion calisthenics to Wayne Shorter’s recent acoustic abstractions. That predilection has frequently emphasized the bassist’s prodigious chops at the expense of his ability to demonstrate deeper emotive qualities. With Songs, Stories and Spirituals, Patitucci’s 11th album as a leader, he counters that impression with a dozen tunes that emphasize the powerful, direct communicativeness of the song, from seductive ballads to soulful hymns of praise.

Opening with “Tall Tale,” a playful instrumental romp with pianist Ed Simon and drummer Brian Blade, Patitucci follows with a lithe version of Antonio Carlos Jobim’s “Chovendo Na Roseira” that features peerless Brazilian vocalist Luciana Souza. Elsewhere, the singer sassily intertwines with Patitucci’s rubbery electric bass on Djavan’s “Lei” and evokes illustrious forebear Flora Purim’s wordless flights of fancy on her own “Now the River.” She gently harmonizes with the bassist’s wife, cellist Sachi Patitucci, in his romantic paean “Soulmates” and affects a tone of fragility and resignation in “It Never Entered My Mind.”

Souza’s is not the only voice showcased on Songs, Stories and Spirituals, however. Over a hypnotically percolating rhythm section, gospel singer John Thomas is both fervent and understated in the traditional Baptist spiritual “I Will Arise.” Both singers invest Patitucci’s solemn, string-heavy arrangement of Gustav Holst’s Christmas carol “In the Bleak Midwinter” with palpable, soulful warmth. And even in instrumentals such as “Rhapsodic Journey” and “Love Eternal,” Patitucci eschews excess in favor of songful expressivity.

Throughout the disc, Patitucci and Blade demonstrate the thrilling rapport they have developed during their stint with Shorter. During a set-ending duet cover of John Coltrane’s “Wise One,” Patitucci gives free rein to his commanding virtuosity, spinning discursive lines over the drummer’s uncanny evocation of Elvin Jones’s free rumble. Succinct yet deeply felt, the performance is the perfect conclusion to Patitucci’s most accomplished, engrossing session to date.

[Valerie]

Wow, Other Steve, what a great piece!! You're a wonderful writer and I'll bet you anything that I'm going to agree with every word of your review! I've been looking forward to this CD ever since I heard about it months ago and will certainly get my hands on it ASAP. Thanks for the post.

[Other Steve]

*blush!*

[Mike Schwartz]

Thanks O.S. for the for the review...will be pursuing John for a return guest appearance on the radio with us in San Jose,CA

For me the maturity in his pen has been coming on strong in the last 2 or 3 projects. Sousa comes out of associtions with Danilo Perez, so lots of fertile connections going around amoung friends and collaborators.

Talent abounds in my birthpalce of LIC NY... becoming quite a rich neighborhood for jazz talents [and writers apparently] Dena DeRose, Sheryl Bailey, Frank Kimbrough, Hearsay, David Haziltine, just a few that I know that reside in my old 'hood'

[james harrigan]

great review, Steve, thanks. This goes right to the top of my must-buy list, not least because of the presence of Luciana Souza, one of the most amazing talents I've stumbled across in recent years. Do you know her solo work ('Poems of Elizabeth Bishop' and 'Brazilian Duos')?

[james harrigan]

by the way, I just discovered that Patitucci's quartet, plus Luciana, will be playing at the Jazz Standard in New York, May 22-25. I'll be there.

[Other Steve]

James - Thanks for the heads-up on the Jazz Standard run; I'll be sure to be there. Another potentially very interesting series of Luciana performances is coming up even sooner; she's singing Manuel de Falla's El Amor Brujo with the New York Philharmonic, though not at Avery Fisher Hall. Instead, it's a series of run-outs to Queens (Colden Center, April 9), the Bronx (Lehman Center, April 11) and Brooklyn (Brooklyn College, April 12).

I love Poems of Elizabeth Bishop but don't yet know Brazilian Duos or her debut disc on NYC.

[chuckyd4]

Hey Steve-
I read that review in Time Out a couple of weeks ago, and it definitely piqued my interest... keep up the excellent work, as I was glad to finally see more than one jazz writer over there at TONY.. is that a permanent gig?

[Other Steve]

chuckyd4, I've been the classical and opera guy at Time Out for nearly two years. My coverage of other music is more sporadic, but I always welcome the opportunity to review jazz. Thanks for the kind words.

[baksheesh]

I have to say that I really didn't like this one, and I absolutely love Now, the one he did with Sco and Potter. There's too much pants here - farting around with classical bits, and singers and stuff. Give me more of that straight ahead quartet jazz.
It's an interesting parallel to the 'house' Blue Note bands I think, when you continually see Sco, Potter, Holland, deJohnette, show up on various albums either as sidemen or leaders. I can think of more than a few. And, like with the old Blue Note house crew, it's almost always a surefire guarantee of quality.