A Welcome Array of Meatier Fare

Jazz recordings structured around the theme-and-improvised-variations format have been the source of some stunning music, from Louis Armstrong and Coleman Hawkins to Charlie Parker and John Coltrane. But the format has also generated a great deal of far less compelling sounds, especially in recent years, when too many young artists have released albums consisting of little more than lightweight original pieces and stretched-out improvisations.

So it’s a welcome development to hear a few albums that reach for more lofty goals. Successful or not, there is a certain kind of worthiness in having made the effort.

“Aria” (***, Sony Classical) is apparently Grover Washington Jr.’s last studio effort, recorded not long before his death earlier this year. The nature of the production is self-evident from the title. Washington, playing soprano, alto and tenor saxophones, renders such classical arias as Delibes’ “Flower Duet,” Puccini’s “O Mio Babbino Caro” and Gershwin’s “My Man’s Gone Now” with the accompaniment of bassist Ron Carter, Billy Childs and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, conducted by Robert Freedman. Washington’s interpretations are generally close to the melodies, driven by the articulation of a jazz artist. In general, the soprano saxophone tracks are more appealing, in part because Washington’s imagination appears to soar more freely on the higher-pitched instrument.

Drummers Brian Blade and Jason Marsalis are generally considered to be two of the most gifted young percussionists of the new century. But there are marked differences in style, manner and creative orientation, fully apparent in two new CDs.

Blade’s “Fellowship” (***, Blue Note) is a deeply thoughtful outing, one in which his drumming is executed with a subtle discretion reflecting the somewhat cool nature of the compositions. A somewhat unusual instrumentation of two saxophones, piano, pedal steel guitar, acoustic guitar, bass and drums provides Blade and pianist Jon Cowherd (who composed four of the nine tracks) with a potentially dense musical palette, and the results surround the improvised passages with a great deal of lush musical coloration. On one track, Joni Mitchell (who has employed Blade in her rhythm section) sings his “Steadfast.” On another, “Trembling,” Blade switches to acoustic guitar and adds his own soft-toned but engaging vocal.

Marsalis’ “Music in Motion” (*** 1/2, Basin Street Records) positions the leader’s drumming front and center in most of the tracks. And the results are impressive. Given the opportunity to display his technique in everything from brushwork and hard-driving jazz to offbeat meters and Brazilian rhythms, Marsalis handles each with ease. The two-saxophone front line of John Ellis (tenor) and Derek Douget (alto and soprano) works together in especially compatible fashion, often interacting improvisationally via virtually seamless connections. But Marsalis is the star here, supporting his brightly melodic lines and often unusual structures with his purposeful, intelligent drumming.

Interpretations of the compositions of Keith Jarrett? It’s not a thought that immediately comes to mind, given the improvisational qualities that have dominated so much of the gifted pianist’s career. But “As Long as You’re Living Yours: The Music of Keith Jarrett” (*** 1/2, RCA Victor) offers a considerably different perspective in a collection of 13 compositions performed by a startling range of different ensembles. In the process, a Jarrett musical identity emerges that is considerably different from the image offered by his pensive solo improvisations and his trio collections of American standards.

Consider some of the combinations: pianist Chucho Valdes and baritone saxophonist Jay Rodriguez performing a roaring version of the sprightly “U Dance”; violinist Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg and pianist Bob James with the passionate “Book of Ways No. 9”; Mike Mainieri’s solo rendering (overdubbing vibes and marimba) of “Starbright”; and soprano saxophonist Jimmy Greene and drummer/keyboard programmer Lord Jamar’s “The Cure.”

The music is equally diverse--edgily contemporary in the Flux Quartet’s version of “Book of Ways No. 10,” high-spirited in a Bruce Hornsby-led romp through “Backhand.” There is some fine straight-ahead playing from Joe Lovano and Joe Farrell on “Shades of Jazz” and Rick Margitza on “Innocence,” and a seductively rhythmic “So Tender” from Nueva Rumba. A remarkable collection, by any measure, one that demands and rewards repeated listening.

The Either/Orchestra is back in action, and it’s a welcome return, even though only three of the musically eccentric ensemble’s original personnel remain. “More Beautiful Than Death” (***, Accurate Records) is the 10-piece, New England-based band’s first album since 1996. Acknowledging the current interest in Latin jazz, the current installment features a simmering undercurrent of conga-rich percussion. And the music, with its constantly shifting blend of solos and ensemble passages, is as stimulating as ever.

Reminiscent, at times, of the larger Charles Mingus ensembles, the pieces--virtually all composed by saxophonist Russ Gershon (who founded both the band and Accurate Records)--are performed superbly. Unrestricted by style or period, the program also includes works based on African melodies and Ethiopian pop tunes, and rhythms that bounce easily from swing and bop to calypso and mambo, all of it performed with irrepressible enthusiasm and some first-rate soloing.