Saturday 12th June 2025, 12:00 – JazzNotJazz.
Once again in this hour a golden chain with high-quality jazz pearls. The formula of this programme guarantees a high variation factor – in era, style and genre. But today there are also pieces with striking similarities. Hamilton de Holanda & Gonzalo Rubalcaba – Incompatibilidade de Gênios
Programme maker Jan Pieter Overmars: “JazzNotJazz ” is kicked off with a Cuban keyboard phenomenon and a Brazilian string wonder. With the intensity, the insight and fun of Bill Evans and Jim Hall, for example. And nothing is exaggerated. Hamilton de Holanda & Gonzalo Rubalcaba with Incompatibilidade de Gênios. The song comes from a recent album by the gentlemen, from 2024. The title of the album is Collab. Note that this album also contains a version with vocals of this song. With the original singer João Bosco. But for now, the instrumental version has our preference. And with this, the ball rolls into our hour of music, only music of the highest order.”
Horace Silver – African Queen
Hard bop pianist/composer Horace Silver (1928-2014) published the album Song for my Father in 1964. His father came from Cape Verde, an archipelago west of Africa. A year later, Silver was inspired by his origins again, resulting in The Cape Verdian Blues. In addition to Silver, we hear Woody Shaw on trumpet, Joe Henderson tenor, Bob Cranshaw bass and Roger Humphries on drums. African Queen is a relaxed piece, for which the quintet takes its time. Not only is the tempo relaxed, but also the theme – a descending, unison melody in the wind section, with a long exhalation. The trio of piano, bass and drums sets a one-moderate, repetitive accompaniment figure against it. And all that on one fundamental note. The middle section of the A-B-A form only provides a short, two-moderate new input. The first solo is for tenorist Henderson, who gradually starts setting off fireworks.
Jason Moran – You’ve Got To Be Modernistic
After pianist Horace Silver, we move quite a bit forward in time and style. But not only forwards… In 2002, pianist Jason Moran (1975) released the solo album Modernistic. The composition You’ve Got To Be Modernistic is by stride pianist James P. Johnson (1894-1955). Jason Moran takes this piece from 1930 as a starting point. The opening bars of Johnson’s original version are regularly repeated by Moran; in between he comes up with his own (contemporary) musical comments. The last sound – a dominant seventh chord – creates an open ending.
Quincy Jones – Walking in Space
Trumpeter, orchestra leader and arranger Quincy Jones released the album Walking in Space in 1969. The orchestra – with no less than thirty musicians – is more extensive than the standard big band. Three electric instruments: guitar, piano and bass. The electric bass is surprisingly played by double bassist Ray Brown! Big names in the line-up: Freddie Hubbard trumpet, Kai Winding trombone, Roland Kirk reeds, Toots Thielemans guitar and harmonica, Grady Tate drums.
The title piece is an arrangement of a song from the rock musical Hair. Long solos, groovy accompanied by keys, bass and drums. Given the rich orchestral line-up and the time span of over twelve minutes, you would expect a more dynamic build-up. But that may not be so appropriate for ‘Walking in Space’.
Roy Hargrove – O My Seh Yeh Roy Hargrove (trumpet, flugelhorn) won a ‘Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Performance’ in 1998 for his album Habana. Latin jazz, in other words. Just like Quincy Jones’ Walking in Space, a larger line-up of about ten musicians can be heard here. Another similarity is the somewhat longer duration of O My Seh Yeh: 10 minutes. And there are more similarities. The musical developments remain limited, as do the harmonies, and there is a lot of repetition in the accompaniment behind the soloists. The dismantling takes as much time as the extremely slow build-up. Not exactly the most dynamic piece on the award-winning album. But the atmosphere will appeal to many listeners.
Annie & The Caldwells – Can’t Lose My Soul
This multigenerational Soul and Gospel group consists of husbands, sons and daughters. Spiritual – soul – gospel – funk – groove, are the keywords here. The polyphonic vocals radiate a high degree of ‘groupiness’. Inescapable, this penetrating musical message.
The title speaks of “ similarities” between several pieces in this playlist. One of these concerns the playing time – four pieces are just under, respectively over 10 minutes. But a more musical similarity can be found in ‘accompaniment figures’. Those who like it can tune their antenna to it.
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JazzNotJazz – Jan Pieter Overmars
