Inventive guitarist deserves a hearing

Milwaukee Sentinel, Feb 10, 1995 by Keith Spore

So many of the founders of modern jazz have died in recent years that it sometimes seems as if the art form itself is playing its final diminuendo.

Yet, new voices are constantly emerging. Some are so young as to invite incredulity. But others have been around for years, polishing their skills in relative obscurity.

The king of the latter category could be Belgian guitarist Philip Catherine, 52, who in the last two decades has painstakingly defined himself as one of the most arresting musicians of our time.

The latest example of Catherine's soaring vision is a CD reissue of a 1985 Chet Baker outing, "Strollin'" (Enja), a trio session recorded live at a West German jazz festival. It is as much a showcase for Catherine's keening guitar as it is for Baker's lyrical trumpet.

Rounding out the threesome is bassist Jean Louis Rassinfosse, another of those amazing European bass players with nimble fingers, quick wits and a robust presence.

The three interact like old friends at a joyous reunion, responding to each other with one magical solo after another during a program of five jazz and pop standards. Particularly memorable are "Sad Walk," "Love for Sale" and "Leaving."

As usual, Baker is in no danger of straining himself, spending most of his time comfortably occupied with middle register inventions and moderate tempos.

Meanwhile, Catherine takes to the harmonic high wire, dashing off quavering, single note lines that sweep through changes until they coalesce in startling chords.

He makes you listen. His tone is like no other, silken and haunting at one moment, arcing and crystalline the next. And, his improvisations offer both logic and surprise, the hallmark of the greats.

Yet, somehow, he has yet to receive an opportunity to be the leader on a worthy recording under his own name. So, until then, we highly recommend the following CDs on which he plays an indelible role: French saxophonist Barney Wilen's stunningly beautiful "Sanctuary" (Ida), the late pianist Kenny Drew's "And Far Away" (Soul Note) and "The Art of the Duo" with bassist Niels- Henning Orsted Pedersen (Enja).

Voices old and new:

{} Unlike Catherine, guitarist John Scofield has attained the ultimate milepost of familiarity, a CD compilation of arbitrary highlights "Liquid Fire / The Best of John Scofield" (Gramavision).

Like Catherine, Scofield has a highly recognizable tone, a shimmering sound that turns icy or funky on demand. "The Best . . . " includes offerings from six albums. Likeable is an understatement.

{} "Good Deeds" (Accurate Records), displays the quirky Charlie Kohlhase Quintet, which will be appearing Sunday at the Estate, 2423 N. Murray Ave. Go for this. Kohlhase is a killer on alto and baritone saxophone. The band on this CD includes three horns, bass and drums and no piano. Matt Langley plays tenor and soprano saxophones and Curtis Hasselbring trombone. They will all hold your attention and perhaps remind you of the Jazztet with their sparkling arrangements.

{} Kohlhase also is a member of the adventurous Either / Orchestra, which regularly tackles some of the most difficult charts this side of an asylum full of masochists. The band's latest CD, "The Brunt" (Accurate), charges into a miasma of shifting tempos and edgy voicings. They swing on Duke Ellington's "Blues for New Orleans." But, overall there's a feeling of heavy labor and great friction.

{} On "The Powers that Be" (Criterion Records) trumpeter Rex Richardson leads a team of young Chicagoans through a boppish romp that dispels any doubts that jazz will continue to thrive. Six of the eight tracks feature a quintet, the rest a septet. Most of the players are younger than 25. The musicianship is boggling.