Jeff Kaiser, Tom McNalley, Ted Byrnes, "External Logic Machine"

External Logic Machine (pfMENTUM 066) is the provocative product of the trio collective of Jeff Kaiser (Bb trumpet, quartertone trumpet, flugel), Tom McNalley (acoustic and resonator guitars), and Ted Byrnes (percussion). This is free, abstract fare, with all three players playing top-tier outside music in the contrapuntally dense and noise-encompassing manner of the Spontaneous Music Ensemble, to take an example.

They have their own way of going about it and they do it well. Jeff K. plays muted and open horn with inventiveness, occasionally evoking an earlier time in jazz via the cup mute, but mostly contributing his brass sounds to the dense mix. Tom M. plays in a complementary mode with irregular abstractions of notes sometimes sounding like Delta blues off in space (his handling of the resonator must give me that impression in part), other times sounding nicely out and irregular. Ted Byrnes has an appealing all-encompassing junkstra sort of percussion style, with metallic, skin and wood tones setting up a wide spectrum of sound colors that lay out well and give the other two improvisers a carpet to work off of.

There are a few occasions that seem less inspired (though not less intense). Nevertheless this is an excellent set of avant improv overall. All three realize personal voices; together they have a supra-personal sound.

Andy Fite, "A Different Temperament: The Well Tempered Clavier, Book 1" for Multiple Solo Guitars

An indie music distribution source of some note that carries this album stated in their usual "people who like x will like this" section that those who like Django Reinhardt, Bach and Warne Marsh will find this album to their liking. Well, I guess. This may be the only album I can think of where those three names don't seem like a stretch. Aside from talking about why Warne Marsh and not, say, Tristano, Konitz, or Connie Crothers (and I suppose that is a moot point in terms of rough net approximations), I must say that Andy Fite makes such combinations seem natural and also seem more like Andy Fite than a combination.

Here I am rattling on but it is usual to name here the title of the album and such, so: A Different Temperament: The Well Tempered Clavier, Book One (Other Street Music). It's Andy on one or more tracks (overdubbed) with his classic Epiphone guitar, in his uniquely interesting improvisational rethinking of Bach's "Well Tempered Clavier, Book One."

And what an different way to go about it! The contrapuntal lines are there or implied, but so are some really nifty guitar improvisations, some swing chord harmonizations, and any manner of other rather brilliant ways into, around and through Bach's wonderful music.

I think I should just say that it's a monument to Andy Fite and his musicianship. And it extends Bach in ways Bach would have dug, being a significant improviser himself. Do a Google search and you'll find places to order this one physically or digitally. But you probably shouldn't forget to do that if you are a guitar-type! Or even if you are not.

Tim Siciliano, Dominic Duval, Skip Scott, "JZ Rhythm"

Classic jazz compositions are the order of the day on Jz Rhythm (Kerava Jazz), played classically well. Tim Siciliano is a guitarist's guitarist, Dominic Duval a monster of the contrabass whatever the style, and Skip Scott a swinging drummer who puts a great spin on the "rhythm" of the title in the best sort of way.

The music? It's an A list of the art of jazz tunes. There are great choices--some prize Metheny (Question and Answer, Bright Sized Life, Waltz), Wayne Shorter (Yes and No, Iris), Herbie Hancock (Tell Me A Bedtime Story), Chick Corea (Windows), Benny Golson (Along Came Betty), Atilla Zoller (Struwwelpeter), Victor Feldman (Joshua) and McCoy Tyner (Search for Peace).

Of course it's not enough to get a great list of vehicles to improvise on and around. And this is where things kick in. This is a date that emphasizes the blowing. The changes and motifs are utilized as you might expect. Dominic is a pleasure to hear in this context--not one he is often featured in in recent times. Just listening to him is to listen to the art of jazz bass--his way with the changes, walking or doing some very hip things within the song structures, and soloing with power and fire. Tim Siciliano is a guitarist who has impeccable chordal and line building credentials--he sounds great and seems endlessly inventive, a classic stylist who manages to avoid sounding like any particular forebear. And the swinging time and nice solo work of Skip Scott makes sure that this session gets where it needs to and stays there.

This is a release, as I understand it, that is available privately only, on Kerava Jazz's website www.jazznirvana.us. It's a beautiful set so don't hesitate. Hear their way with "Joshua" and you'll know why you came to this music!

Catherine Russell, Strictly Romancin'

Catherine Russell takes us to an earlier time with an album of well and not-so-well known swing tunes about love and its many moods. Strictly Romancin' (World Village) could have been made around 1950. The arrangements have that big band transition to mid-size band post war flavor to them and they are well put together. Catherine has one hell of a voice. Dead on pitch, beautiful range and tone, and soul! A little Dinah Washington there maybe. But this is Catherine Russell and we should listen because she's got it!

What to say more except hear her and be happy. A major sort of voice there and a great retro-recall program. Yes!

Saturday Night in Shankletown, Blues Anthology

Alright, here we have another volume in Catbone's "Jukin' with the Blues" series, Saturday Night in Shankleton (Catbone 2001-2). Some of the things that were true of the first anthology we covered are true here. "I Ain't Got You" (Billy Boy Arnold) is mistitled as "8 Dorado", there is the inexplicable presence of a short bebop cut ("Woody n You" by Jack Millman) which is undistinguished and doesn't really belong here to boot. And there are a few "blue eyed" examples that may not quite be of a caliber of the rest of the music (but also some good ones).

Aside from that, though, there are some classic corkers. "I Wish You Would" by Billy Boy Arnold, Muddy's "Forty Days and Forty Nights," Cotton's "You Know it Ain't Right," the Wolf's "Goin' Down Slow." Some gems.

I would not put this quite at the level of the Mean Street volume discussed a few days ago here. This one is is 3/4 great, 1/4 not as great.

Nonetheless it's nice to hear those classics again, and many of the versions are not especially common.

Permanent Clear Light, Neo-Psychedelia for a New Millennium

I find myself continually attracted to those who look to expand the initial psychedelic sounds that came out in the late '60s. And it's not just because that was a music that formed a big part of my musical upbringing. It's a sound that has nearly infinite plasticity.

So when I first heard the Finnish band Permanent Clear Light I naturally gravitated toward them. Like XTC in their psychedelic guise, these four guys work within the song form and extend the original sounds. The band doesn't have a lot of music released in conventional hard format. But no matter. That will happen I hope in time. Meanwhile you can go onto My Space and Facebook, look up the Permanent Clear Light pages and get yourself samples and ways to buy downloads and/or a few singles out there.

"Wherewithal" and "In the City" are good places to start. Nice songs, well sung. Well-built walls of psychedelic sound.

May they thrive. Meanwhile check out the music.

Mili Bermejo, Love Songs of the Americas

Vocalist Mili Bermejo joins cellist Eugene Friesen, Tim Ray on piano, Dan Greenspan on bass, and the Berklee World String Orchestra for a fine program of Love Songs of the Americas (self-released). It consists of some well-chosen songs from Latin-America, Brazil, and a few in English.

The arrangements are good, the contributors essential, the strings tastefully positioned and Ms. Bermejo in fine voice. It's all about love, of course, in its various permutations, happy, sad, longing, beginning, ending, and everything in between.

It's a very good listen and a significant addition to Mili Bermejo's discography.