Charles Lloyd featuring Anthony Wilson & Gerald Clayton, "Trios: Ocean (Live)" (Blue Note). Sit by the ocean. Waves, wind, birds, memories. Lloyd's tenor is the human soul; Clayton's piano the universal organizing principle, full of strange surprises; Wilson's guitar the keen edge of experience. Lavishments include Ornettish gambol, flute blues with a compositional nod to the hearth of Oliver Nelson, and a heart-skipping tribute to the joy of compassion. Serene, and so alive. "Ocean" is a sibling to Lloyd's "Trios: Chapel" from June and "Trios: Sacred Thread," coming Nov. 18.
Sun Ra Arkestra featuring Marshall Allen, "Living Sky" (Omni Sound). What a feel this well-marinated ensemble still generates! Same as live, mostly these aren't so much compositions as arrangements of grooves -- where to drop in the horn stings, the chants, the solos and group jams. But then, you get something like "Night of the Living Sky," a twisting march with Afro riff and real melodies, ever changing, eerie and gorgeous. Or Marshall Allen's squalling alto working hilarious defilements upon almost reverential renditions of "When You Wish Upon a Star" and the Tony Bennett-Count Basie ballroom ballad "Firefly." A smile a minute.
Richard Bonnet, James Carney, Samuel Ber, "Bastille." It's not quite free jazz, but fuzztoned guitarist Bonnet, hardtwinkle pianist Carney (whom you may remember from his L.A. years) and thrumbling drummer Ber sure sound at liberty to play most anything and take the instantaneous feedback anywhere. Dig the disgruntled conversation (with piano string scrapes and guitar-volume waves) of "It's Been Much Too Long," or the initial rough railroad trip "La sommeil du guerrier," which later gains perspective from the piano trailing off far into the distance. Best is the overlapping arpeggio work (with drum counterpoint) on "Talking Out Loud," a real piece of spy-vs.-spy intrigue. Listen/buy here.
John Escreet, "Seismic Shift" (Whirlwind). Escreet's piano playing has a bright, nervous intelligence (he starts with obeisances to Monk and Cecil), but that doesn't stop him from telling a story and expressing sentiment. In fact, although the flatbash drums of Damion Reid and the percussive bass of Eric Revis favorably recall early-'60s avant loft recordings, there's something of the love story to "Seismic Shift." Flowery emotions get complicated, arguments rail, ghosts lurk, but the bass is determined, the piano reshuffles the cards, and unity prevails because this team truly enjoys the interplay. One lesson: Don't watch the news together. John Escreet's Seismic Shift plays REDCAT as part of the Angel City Jazz Fest on Sat. Oct. 22; tickets here.