Ernesto Cervini and Bruce Barth, two musicians whom I have long admired, and Yosef Gutman Levitt, a brand-new acquaintance, have new albums that deserve attention.

Yosef Gutman Levitt
Upside Down Mountain (indie)
A review
In Edward Albee’s play Zoo Story, Jerry tells Peter, “Sometimes a person has to go a very long distance out of his way to come back a short distance correctly.” The same could be said of bassist Yosef Gutman Levitt’s musical career. Consider that he was raised on a farm in South Africa, attended Berklee, and lived in New York, gigging with some of the city’s jazz heavyweights. When he decided to live as an observant Jew, the gigs got fewer—hard to stay on the scene if you’re not available on Friday night—and Levitt’s disillusionment got bigger. Moving to Tel Aviv, he taught himself to code, started a successful Internet company, got married, and now has seven children and, at last count, 21 chickens. Since selling his company in 2018, he has dedicated himself exclusively to music. Upside Down Mountain, the first of several planned releases, features Levitt’s original compositions in a trio format, with pianist Omri Mor and drummer Ofri Nehemya (the only familiar face for me, given his work with Shai Maestro, Avishai Cohen, and Omer Avital, among others). Reflective and possessing an exceptional clarity of feeling, Levitt’s music settles the soul. He plays an electrified acoustic bass, often in the highest register, and both Mor, who can sometimes conjure the kora from his piano, and Nehemya bring a corresponding feeling, restraint, and musicality to the project. From the jubilation of “Wedding Song” to the magic hour coloration of “Time with Abba,” from the struggle of “Jericho” to the gratitude of “Family (Folk Vibe),” with its African feel, to the centering quality of “Arise,” Upside Down Mountain offers a satisfying island of lyrical sanity.

Ernesto Cervini
Joy (Three Pines Records)
A review
As impressive a drummer as Canada’s Ernesto Cervini is, he may be an even more impressive composer and arranger, as evidenced by his latest album, Joy. Inspired by the detective novels of Canadian author Louise Penny, to which he was introduced by his sister, vocalist Amy Cervini, he has created 15 portraits of the people and places that inhabit the novels, most of which take place in a town called Three Pines. So the opener, “Three Pines,” introduces us to the town with a bird’s-eye view of its features, communicated via the lovely harmonies of vocalists Felicity Williams, Emilie-Claire Barlow, and Amy Cervini, along with Don Scott (guitar), Dan Fortin (bass), and Ernesto Cervini (drums). Cervini employs 16 musicians on the album, with arrangements ranging from solo piano (Adrean Farrugia on “Peter Morrow”) to septet (Alex Samaras, vocal; Tara Davidson, alto sax; Kelly Jefferson, tenor and soprano sax; William Carn, trombone; Farrugia, piano; Fortin, bass; E. Cervini, drums). Also appearing on the album are Jim Lewis (trumpet), Virginia MacDonald (clarinet), Luis Deniz (alto sax), Artie Roth (acoustic bass), and Rich Brown (electric bass). All the musicians are top-notch, but the rhythm section gets special plaudits for their work. Cervini’s arrangements reflect a skilled orchestrator at work, and one has to wonder if there might be a big band in his future. He certainly has the skills. Joy offers a warm and wise collection of lively, expressive portraits, written with heart and humanity. You’ll want to read the books.

Bruce Barth Trio
Dedication (Origin Records)
A review
I first encountered pianist/composer Bruce Barth live at the Outpost in Albuquerque years ago, accompanying vocalist Luciana Souza, if my memory can be trusted. What I do for sure remember is being impressed with his lively and sensitive performance, and so I always welcome the opportunity to hear what he’s up to. On his latest release, Dedication, Barth is joined by Vicente Archer (bass) and the late Montez Coleman (drums), and the three of them conduct a delightful ongoing musical conversation across eight original tunes, several of which are dedicated to friends, colleagues, and jazz piano icons. The album opens with the upbeat, foot-tappingly nimble “George’s Dance,” and the exceptional drumming of Coleman captured my attention immediately. He provides a swinging pneumatic lift and momentum, always present but never imposing himself, and his work with the cymbals is particularly deft, expanding and contracting the space as needed. On “Better Days,” he moves effortlessly from a Latin feel to a second-line march, going from the islands to New Orleans. Archer’s no slouch, either, and he gets the spotlight on “Golden Glow,” an ode to contentment. Barth proves as lively and sensitive as ever, in terms of both his compositions and his performance. Dedication offers a well-grounded, straight-ahead jazz trio experience that will knock the dust off of your day.

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© 2022 Mel Minter