In the July 2011 issue of The New York City Jazz Record:
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On Miles Okazaki’s first two recordings, Mirror (2005) and Generations (2009), the leader’s guitar wasn’t the main focus. Rather, it was part of a larger ensemble fabric woven by three saxophones, bass and drums, even vocals on the latter disc. Premiering a third volume of original music, “Figurations,” at the Jazz Gallery (June 4th), Okazaki went a different route, scaling back to a quartet with Miguel Zenón on alto, Thomas Morgan on bass and Dan Weiss on drums. Here the guitar was well out in front as a solo voice, and Okazaki’s tumbling, accelerating, pointedly unstable phrases seemed to connect with Weiss’s drumming on a molecular level (a function of their work together on Weiss’s Jhaptal Drumset Solo and other projects). Even at its most austere and highly technical, the music bore traces of blues, soul, funk and swing — “Dozens,” the finale, was based on “I Got Rhythm” changes. But Okazaki drew on more obscure systems of information as well. Included in the printed program were his original drawings, mysteriously representing five of the six featured compositions, “Mandala,” “Tesselation,” “Dozens,” “Hive Mind” and “Circulation.” Bold reds and blues in complex labyrinthine patterns, against a background of jet black: Okazaki’s visual aesthetic certainly opened the door to a music that could seem baffling and rhythmically overstuffed at points. Visit the “Theory” section of milesokazaki.com to see how deep his imagination goes. (David R. Adler)
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There is something immediately gripping about the speed, grace and unerring touch of Warren Wolf at the vibraphone. Clearly this isn’t lost on Bobby Watson, Christian McBride, Jeremy Pelt, Willie Jones III and others who’ve hired the young Baltimore native and new Mack Avenue Records signee. That Wolf also plays piano and drums on a high level — as documented on his recent self-release Warren “Chano Pozo” Wolf — makes him an even more unusual find. Keeping strictly to vibes at Jazz Standard (June 9th), Wolf brought on board pianist Lawrence Fields, bassist Eric Wheeler (subbing for Kris Funn) and drummer John Lamkin for an inspired one-nighter. The second set commenced with the midtempo “Soul Sister,” gliding and funky in a ’70s McCoy Tyner vein. Wolf continued with “Para Mejor o Peor” (“for better or worse”), a fine jazz ballad that grew into more of a rock power ballad by the outro. “I Surrender Dear” started at a strutting trad-jazz pace, and after Wheeler’s three able choruses Wolf delivered the goods: a set of rousing stop-time breaks and a virtuoso cadenza, the set’s defining moment. Strayhorn and Ellington capped it off: “Lush Life,” initially a vibes/piano duo, led to a breakneck “Caravan,” powered by Lamkin’s galloping swing. The first-rate piano solo left one wondering when Fields will throw his hat in the ring as a leader. No grand revelations here, but solid music-making, deep in the tradition, from a highly promising group. (DA)
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