Jazz Uncorked
By David Ginochio

June 2001

Jazz Uncorked
Archive

Deerfield Ranch Pinot Noir Sebastopol Syrah Sunce Cabernet Simonsig Estate Wines Deerfield Ranch Wines Sobon Estate Barbera Peterson Zero Manipulation Roche Merlot & Pinot Noir Yorkville Cellars Wooden Valley Wines Milone Zinfandel Argonaut Syrah Claudia Springs Zin Pellegrini's Cab Westover Cab Storrs Grenache Tocai Friulano Lodi "Fancy Quest" 1998 Il Chiaretto Guest Columns Jacky Terrasson Prunotto R.H. Phillips' Malbec

By David Ginochio Wooden Valley is a family winery in Suisun, California. Like most family wineries, they have a fiercely loyal clientele of locals, couples planning weddings and others who come in regularly for a case or two of their more than reasonably priced wines. Like scores of family operations, they make about a million varietals. However, unlike many of these wineries, the wines at Wooden Valley actually taste like the variety of grape used, rather than a diluted, generic, “house red, white or rosé.” Even really inexpensive red and white table blends show real character and nuance at the hands of Wooden Valley. Though they sell most of the grapes they grow to other wineries, Wooden Valley still manages to produce over 20,000 cases a year. Here are a few of my favorite Wooden Valley wines: WHITES 2000 Viognier Smoky herbs, almonds and apricots, with a bracing acidity. Score: 89 1999 Sauvignon Blanc Almost transparent straw color, aromas of honey and figs, tropical fruit and herbs tempt the tongue. Score: 88 2000 Muscat Canelli Honeyed peaches, floral notes, and a lingering but not cloying finish mark this delightful after dinner sipper. Not as sweet as some others out there. Score: 88 1999 Chardonnay Medium bodied, flavors of apples and citrus with a delightful finish. Score: 87 REDS 1999 Merlot This is exactly what I love in a Merlot—full body and hints of just about everything anyone likes in a red wine. I recently purchased a highly touted (and pricey) Napa Merlot. It was amazingly delicious. Wooden Valley’s is nearly its equal, and costs about seven times less. Score: 94 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon Currents, mint, red bell pepper, with a full body, deep ruby color, soft tannins, and great balance. Score: 88 1999 Pinot Noir Clean bright cherry flavors with a hint of tobacco this light-to-medium bodied quaff is a great value. Compare with Pinots twice the price. Score: 86 Visit the Wooden Valley Web Site

By C. Michael Bailey Stan Getz— My Foolish Heart, Live at the Left Bank (Label M 5702). This is perhaps the best of this glut of releases. Getz is in relaxed lyrical form as he breathlessly spins his way through ballads "My Foolish Heart" and "Spring is Here." Recorded in May 1975, Getz tapped the considerable rhythm section of Richie Beirach, Dave Holland, and Jack DeJohnette for this spirited, yet cool performance. To paraphrase past criticism, "When Stan Getz was in the zone, he was there all alone." Here, he is in the zone. Cedar Walton— Three Sundays in the Seventies, Live at the Left Bank (Label M 5711). Urbane and studied, Cedar Walton leads a tenor, trumpet-fronted sextet, that has Etta Jones show up for upbeat, dirty performances of "Blow Top Blues" and "Don't Talk to Strangers". Walton allows all plenty of blowing room, particularly for bassists Sam Jones and Herbie Lewis. A most cool "Naima" opens the gig. These sides were gleaned from three performances in 1971 through 1974. Al Cohn & Zoot Sims— Easy as Pie, Live at the Left Bank (Label M, 5716). The listener bobs to the surface in the middle of "Tickle Toe". The effect is intoxicating. The song is appropriate. A vehicle for Lester Young, Prez's tradition had no greater advocates that Cohn and Sims, whose tone owes much to the great tenorist. The medley of "These Foolish Things / Willow Weep for Me" demonstrates the grasp of ballads and blues these two titans had. Recorded in October 1968, these performances capture these two big band types beginning their hard small group careers. The smoothest tones since Stan Getz oops Lester Young. Freddie Hubbard & Jimmy Heath— Jam Gems, Live at the Left Bank (Label M 5716). Jam, Jam, Jam. A nuclear blowing session with extended versions of "Bluesville", "Loverman", and a 17 minute "Autumn Leaves". This is a burning set propelled with over the top performances by Wilbur Little, Bertell Knox and Gus Simms. But the leaders are the story. Freddie Hubbard is in his prime and Jimmy Heath riding his wave. This might have been mainstream jazz's answer to the British Invasion. Ray Bryant— Somewhere in France (Label M 5701). Here is the exception. Somewhere in France was not recorded at Baltimore's Left Bank, it was recorded, well Somewhere in France. Derived from a $2.00 cassette tape recorded by a sound man "somewhere in France" this disc provides perhaps the best example of Ray Bryant live, including Joel Dorn's earlier Ray Bryant Live at Montreux. Beginning with "Take the 'A' Train", Bryant flexes his blues muscles on "Willow Weep for Me", "Slow Freight", and "St. Louis Blues", and sighs his divine ballad inspiration on "Django", "Good Morning Heartache", and "When I Look into Your Eyes." This is a disc to crow about, as are all of the releases on Label M. Visit the Label M Web Site