Made In Kalamazoo (Trios and Duos) - Keith Hall (featuring Andrew Rathbun and Robert Hurst) (Album Review)

If you’ve ever lived in West Michigan as a jazz artist or fan, you have definitely heard of Keith Hall. Whether it’s his project TRI-FI with bassist Phil Palombi and pianist/academic colleague Matthew Fries, his nationally recognized summer jazz drumming clinic, or his educational background as a touring clinician, method book publisher, and professor at Western Michigan University (WMU), Hall has cemented his place in the region over the last 25 years. He has worked with a host of veterans of jazz history, including Betty Carter, Sir Roland Hannah, Michael Philip Mossman, Janis Siegel, Curtis Stigers, Steve Wilson, and many more. With his first album as a bandleader, listeners are treated to Made in Kalamazoo (Trios and Duos), an album that captures the city he has known and occupied for years that is also supported by a prominent area arts institution, the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo. Hall describes that “the vibrant arts community, dynamic industries and vital personal connections in Kalamazoo provide inspiration for this project and many of the compositions.”

The record begins with a solo drum improvisation called “Be Curious (For Billy Hart),” a fitting tribute to the legendary “Jabali” Billy Hart, a drummer who used to teach Hall at WMU before Hall eventually assumed Hart’s teaching position. It sets the table for what listeners can expect to hear on the rest of the record: colorful use of the drum kit, skilled execution of improvisational ideas, and a careful attention to spatial awareness within intimate listening spaces. Next, “Douglass King Obama” kicks off the selection of trio arrangements on the record, adding saxophonist/fellow WMU faculty colleague Andrew Rathbun and bassist Robert Hurst on a tune that celebrates Fredrick Douglass, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and President Barack Obama. As stated in the liner notes, Hall chose to celebrate 3 leaders that have all impacted social justice movements in America while also delivering speeches to the citizens of Kalamazoo during their lifetimes. The tune expertly fills space without overwhelming the tune or any one player while inviting some spirited, sonic conversations. If you’re a musician in Kalamazoo, these types of conversations can be had throughout the city in coffee shops and places like Bell’s Brewery, with these gathering places being a focal point in the tune “Kzoo Brew.” Right away Hurst shines in his bass intro, exploring the groove before the rest of the trio joins in for a tune in 12/8 that sits more in the Afro-Cuban realm. The implied harmonies between bass and sax are beautifully expressed in the arrangement, and Andrew Rathbun’s solo flows with modern bebop flare and personality in the more swung sections. “The Promise'' smacks listeners hard with a funk groove while featuring a bowed bass solo in addition to a sax solo. The title refers to the “Kalamazoo Promise” fund that was established in 2005 to help pay for college for high school graduates of the Kalamazoo Public School system. Just like funk and jazz’s infectious stylistic influence, the model for the “Kalamazoo Promise” fund has been duplicated across the country and has helped to change thousands of lives.

“Boiling Pot'' derives its name from the Potawatomi translation of “Kikalamazo,” which is believed to be the origin of Kalamazoo’s name. This spirited tune turns up the heat and rides on the cusp of boiling over, but in the expert hands of these sonic culinary curators, it stays cooking without leaving anyone burned. The quick hits in the opening section give way to a swung section that begins to slow down, as if to mimic the rise and fall of a heated stovetop water pot, with Rathbun also utilizing a bass clarinet alongside his sax playing. “Coming of Age '' speaks to Hall’s musical upbringing in the Kalamazoo music scene while also reflecting on the life that led him back into his alma mater as a professor. This ballad centers around a beautiful soprano sax melody surrounded by a refreshing wash of bass and drums before grounding the ensemble in time. One of Hall and Ratbun’s former students, Ben Schmidt-Swartz, helped arrange this tune, further adding to the depth of representation in WMU-born artists. “Creative Force” builds on this community thriving with artistic collaboration with the drums accenting the melody up front, sax and bass joining in, and then opening up the tune into a swinging, expressive blues for the full band to interact with one another. The group slowly dissolves the backing textures to open up space for Hurst, with each member of the trio joining in to help support the ark of this fast, hard swingin’ bass solo. “Well of Hope '' plays off of two influential entities in Kalamazoo's history: the Hopewell tribes that first inhabited the area and Bobby Hopewell, Hall’s friend and the city’s longest serving mayor of 12 years. The band highlights these elements with a straight 8th, 12-bar blues, a form born in America’s history while also signifying one bar for each year Mayor Hopewell served. “Interlude” bridges the listening experience between the trio compositions into the duo arrangements that feature Hall and Rathbun, with the improvisational inspiration deriving from the drumming legend and Pontiac, Michigan born artist, Elvin Jones.

The second half of the record showcases Hall and Rathbun’s relationship as friends, colleagues, and skilled performers on their respective instruments. “Mop It Up” blends rhythmic interplay between the saxophone (with efx) and drums, with Rathbun’s use of delay complimenting Hall’s drumming foundation while Hall also interacts with the sax’s melodic phrasing. “Sweep” calms things down with brushed drums in a slower swing tune. Rathbun plays off of Hall’s brushing textures with ghosted notes mimicking swing-style drumming in between his accent pitches. “Get Up Get Out” showcases Hall’s funk chops once again, but this time creating a false bass line from the pitch/rhythm of his kick drum. Rathbun’s use of a wah effect adds an almost guitar-like quality to the mix with his articulations and loops. After some swingin’ conversations, the tune returns to the opening textures to ease out of the groove. “Dream Sequence” starts with an arpeggiation effect on Ratbun’s sax that creates a hypnotic expression, with this sound being less about centering on the pulse of the arpeggiation and more about utilizing the motif as a tool ground the players and listeners before things open up to a more swing-driven, free playing section. “Sympathetic Vibrations” continues the exploratory music-making with Hall back on brushes playing off of Rathbun’s journey through his instrument’s range of expressive tones (muting, altissimo, etc).

“Lakeside” features some darker, mallet-driven percussion work from Hall that compliments Rathbun’s gritty saxophone tone that builds on the guitar-like qualities expressed in previous tracks. The added reverb to both instruments creates a powerful presence in such a small configuration. “My Man!” sounds like what these guys would play together on a gig where they were allowed to open up together before the rest of the band joins back in. This tune radiates the joy of making music together, with the slow down at the end executed so well and the “My Man!” from Hall punctuating the vibe. “What You Say” features some lush saxophone phrasing (reminiscent of Coltrane) atop a bed of rounded mallet drum tones and cymbal washes before moving into a heavily rock-inspired tribute to the next generation of players in “Young Man’s Game.” Rathbun perfects his guitar mimicry on this tune, chunking away like a rhythm guitarist and soaring like lead guitarists in different spots as Hall’s thunderous drumming add to the power behind the track. To close the record, one last duo piece, “Landscape, creates a cinematic moment with shimmery cymbal work and wide, intervallic note choices from the Rathbun, along with one final solo drum improvisation, “Thank You Max,” to celebrate another influential man behind the kit, Max Roach.

Made in Kalamazoo (Trios and Duos) is a thorough expression of this prominent West Michigan city through the lens of masterful artistry. Each tune explores an idea without overstaying its welcome, giving listeners the chance to really sit and enjoy such a wide range of influences, styles, tones, expressive moments, and colorful collaboration. The nod to Kalamazoo in each trio composition celebrates so many great aspects of the city's history and its people, where the solo and duo moments capture some of the intimate artistic moments that resonate throughout the community. This body of work is filled with standout moments from such a small, committed roster of seasoned professionals, and it’s a masterclass in serving the sound verses purely serving the self, as sometimes academic jazz can come across to the public. It is approachable music that guides you comfortably through explorative moments, and it showcases Hall’s deep appreciation for his craft as a drummer, his knowledge as a continuing student of jazz history, and his commitment to Kalamazoo. Spin this record on a sunny evening with a cocktail in hand and look up when these artists are performing near you to experience this level of talent live!

Support Keith Hall!
Website: https://www.keithhallmusic.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/reverendofswing
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keithhallmusic/
Bandcamp: https://keithhall.bandcamp.com/album/made-in-kalamazoo-trios-and-duos
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4C4QHCdeRMiYfCJhezibZG?si=9A3FAn6GQMmvGYb8yss5vA
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/Keithhallmusic
Podcast (Real Music Talk with Keith Hall): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/real-music-talk-podcast/id1515807120
More: https://linktr.ee/Keithhall

Album Notes/Credits:
Recorded May 17 & 18, 2019 at Overneath Creative Collective, Kalamazoo, MI

Engineer: Gordon Van Gent
Mixing: Andrew Rathbun
Mastering: Chris Allen

Song #1, 6-9, and 20 by written Keith Hall - (Psalm 150:5 Music ASCAP), all others by Hall and Andrew Rathbun - (Broatch Music SOCAN)

Produced by Keith Hall
Photos: Casey Spring
Artwork Design: Matthew Fries

Andrew Rathbun is a D’addario performing artist.

Keith Hall plays Yamaha Drums, Zildjian Cymbals, Vic Firth Sticks, and Remo Drumheads.

Special Thanks:
This recording was made possible in part by the generous support of the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo. Special thanks to Ben Schmidt-Swartz for organizing and arranging some of this music, Robert Hurst for bringing his undeniable artistry and great vibe to this project, and my man, Andrew Rathbun. Andrew played so beautifully, wrote some fantastic music, mixed the record and has been completely invested in this project from the beginning. I literally could not have done this without him! Love always to Grace Nellie, Hannah Joy, and Josie Mae: my greatest inspirations to continue growing as an artist and as a man. LPSWC.