When Lyrical and Attack Pianists Meet, Notes Fly

* * * *

MARIAN McPARTLAND AND WILLIE PICKENS

“Ain’t Misbehavin’--Live at the Jazz Showcase”

Concord

At first glance, pianists McPartland and Pickens might not seem like ideal collaborators, if only because her elegant lyricism stands as practically the antithesis of his unabashedly muscular chords and two-fisted keyboard attacks. Yet that’s the charm of this disc, which allows each pianist to maintain a distinctive sound and attitude, while listeners should have no trouble picking out who’s who. Moreover, Pickens gives McPartland’s work a shot of rhythmic energy and sonic depth, while McPartland’s gentle touch softens some of Pickens’ craggy edges. No track better sums up their chemistry than “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing),” a performance that includes a jazz fugue, passages of classic ragtime and an unstoppable finale. Considering that the CD was recorded live, its warmth and clarity come as a pleasant surprise.

* * * 1/2

JOEL BRANDON

“Haven’t We All ... ?”

Southport

Whistlers don’t get a lot of respect in jazz (or most any other genre), but that hasn’t stopped Brandon from daring to pucker up and blow through the music of John Coltrane, Duke Ellington and others. It helps that Brandon’s whistling sounds less like a novelty and more like a particularly expressive, high-register flute. That Brandon creates comparably intricate lines on vocals and flute adds to his appeal, although his lyric writing doesn’t match his sophisticated way with an improvised phrase. Backed by top-notch rhythm players--pianist Kirk Brown, bassist Harrison Bankhead and percussionist Famoudou Don Moye--Brandon proves that intelligent riffing can ennoble practically any instrument.

* * * *

VON FREEMAN

“Live at the Dakota”

Premonition Records

So few of the early-generation bebop masters still are alive, healthy and playing at top form that a release such as this comes as a surprise, albeit a welcome one. Recorded live at the Dakota Bar & Grill in St. Paul, Minn., the disc captures tenor saxophone giant Freeman (who’s pushing 80) in full cry, his sound as urgent and dramatic as if the bebop era still were dawning. To hear Freeman flying through “Bye Bye Blackbird”--the speed, clarity and tonal ferocity of his work utterly undiminished--is to understand anew the shock that bebop music must have held for listeners more than half a century ago. Each track offers its own allure, but Freeman’s crushed-velvet tone on the ballad “Crazy She Calls Me” and his unabashedly knotty solo style on “My Little Brown Book” stand out. Moreover, his gloriously idiosyncratic phrasings, often raspy timbres and slightly flat pitch (a longtime signature) document the work of a jazz original.

* * * 1/2

STEVE MARCH TORME

“The Night I Fell for You”

Frozen Rope Records

The maturation of Torme as a singer has been gratifying to behold. After exploring various facets of the music business, Torme (son of legendary jazz crooner Mel) in recent years redirected himself toward jazz singing, and this recording shows how far he has come. The joyous sense of swing rhythm he brings to his own “Almost the Blues,” the warmth and simplicity with which he unfurls the ballad “Late, Late Show” and the surprisingly nimble technique he displays on “Skat Dat” point to a jazz singer belatedly coming into his own. Although he errs slightly by delving into lightweight, R&B-tinged; singing on another original, “Just You and Me,” this is the exception in an otherwise beguiling disc. *