Monthly Archives: August 2014

Aug 6 2014

My new eMusic Jazz Picks are up at Wondering Sound

 

As most of you are aware, I have been writing a weekly column for eMusic.com that gives a rundown of the best of the new Jazz releases each week (my Jazz Picks).  Well, eMusic has spun off their editorial function to a completely separate site, called Wondering Sound.  It’s still an eMusic thing, but my Jazz Picks will now be posted over on the Wondering Sound site.

So don’t freak out when the link takes you to an unfamiliar site.  I’ll be reprinting this introduction for the next handful of weeks, just so that everyone becomes familiar with the changes.

Now, that said, my new recommendations have just been posted up on the Wondering Music site HERE.

Notable albums from this week’s article are:

Eyot - "Similarity" Bob Stewart - "Connections- Mind the Gap"Tree Stones Quartet - "Baltic Sketches"Trio 3 - "Wiring"

 

 

 

 

… and a handful of other quality choices.  Not huge numbers this week…  I think just eleven recommendations, but some very cool, inventive recordings to be found in that group.

Enjoy!

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Aug 5 2014

Sana Nagano – “Inside the Rainbow”

 

Sana Nagano - "Inside the Rainbow"An engaging session from violinist Sana Nagano, who is joined by improv giant Karl Berger on vibes and guitarist John Ehlis.  Avant-garde, but not in a pushy in-your-face way.  Music shifts from a motion of stop-and-go traffic to one of peaceful drives through a pastoral countryside, but this music is absorbing at either speed.

There’s “Theme of Time Thieves,” with its ambling cadence and folksy charm, contrasting nicely with the skittering run-for-cover tempo of “Dance Dragon Rolls.”  “Phantom’s Dream,” on the other hand, has trio members performing a complex guessing game in which each attempts to stay a step ahead and arrive at the next beat a fraction before the others.

“Spells-Rubber Human” is a bustling bit of percussion, but it’s the way in which violin and vibes melt into one another that carries the tune.  “Natural Lover” has the crisp beauty of pure moonlight, whereas the boozy “Bubbles, Infinite, Sea” wavers and staggers and struggles to stay upright.  The brooding “Snail’s Breath” balances a quiet intensity with friendly melodic lines of conversation.

This is a nice offering for her debut album.  Worth noting that Nagano is also a member of Adam Rudolph’s Go: Organic Orchestra, an outfit that has a nifty talent at creating unconventional music that is terrifically engaging.

Your album personnel:  Sana Nagano (violin), Karl Berger (vibraphone), and John Ehlis (guitar).

The album is Self-Produced.

Jazz from NYC.

Available at:  eMusic | Bandcamp | CDBaby | Amazon MP3

And according to Nagano’s website, CDs with handmade covers are available at NYC’s Downtown Music Gallery.  Not sure if those are only available for walk-in purchases or also via their online store.  Couldn’t hurt to ask.  It appears to be the only place that offers the CD.

*****

Some of this review was used originally in the weekly new jazz releases column I write for eMusic, so here’s some language protecting their rights to the reprinted material as the one to hire me to write about new jazz arrivals to their site…

“New Arrivals Jazz Picks,“ reprints courtesy of eMusic.com, Inc.
© 2014  eMusic.com, Inc.

As always, my sincere thanks to eMusic for the gig.

By • Beyond Jazz Reviews, Jazz Recommendations, Jazz Recommendations - 2014 Releases • 0

Aug 4 2014

David Weiss – “When Words Fail”

 

David Weiss - "When Words Fail"It’s kind of crazy thinking about the recent projects that trumpeter David Weiss has been running lately.  He’s the guy behind the excellent veteran supergroup The Cookers, his Endangered Species project’s embrace of the music of Wayne Shorter was pretty amazing, and then there’s his Point of Departure, which is a past eMusic Pick of the Week.  Now, with 2014’s When Words Fail, Weiss is back with another solid effort and with a new set of all-stars.

These are straight-ahead tunes, but expressed in a way that has them persistently wavering at the borders.  Little things, like the strangely alluring harmonics on “Loss,” the undercurrent of tension on “Lullaby for a Lonely Child,” the slow ebb and strong tide of “MJ,” the tidy bundle of combustible motion that is “Wayward,” the intriguingly haphazard recitation of melody on the title-track and the way it suddenly ratchets up the volume… all these things, and more, create abstractions and differentiation to what otherwise would be a straight-ahead modern post-bop set.  Just stellar.

Your album personnel:  David Weiss (trumpet), Myron Walden (alto sax), Marcus Strickland (tenor sax), Xavier Davis (piano), Dwayne Burno (bass), E.J. Strickland (drums), and guest: Ben Eusen (guitar).

Released on Motema Music.

Available at:  eMusic | Amazon CD | Amazon MP3

*****

Some of this review was used originally in the weekly new jazz releases column I write for eMusic, so here’s some language protecting their rights to the reprinted material as the one to hire me to write about new jazz arrivals to their site…

“New Arrivals Jazz Picks,“ reprints courtesy of eMusic.com, Inc.
© 2014  eMusic.com, Inc.

As always, my sincere thanks to eMusic for the gig.

By • Jazz Recommendations, Jazz Recommendations - 2014 Releases • 0

Aug 3 2014

Jeremy Siskind Trio – “Linda”

 

One of my favorite recordings of 2012 was Finger-Songwriter, by the Jeremy Siskind Trio, an album influenced by the chamber music of Norma Winstone and the writings of favorite authors.  Whether moody or upbeat, the beauty expressed by this trio was staggering at times, heartbreaking at others.

The trio has begun putting out some home studio videos as they ramp up to their new recording.  Scheduled for release in early 2015 on the Brooklyn Jazz Underground label, the trio of Siskind-Harms-Pino will also feature guest appearances by Kurt Elling, Peter Eldridge, and Kendra Shank.  I was lucky enough to hear two tracks from the new one, and it’s already got me in serious fanboy mode.

For today’s video, they perform the song “Linda,” which was co-written by Siskind and Peter Eldridge.

Your video personnel:  Jeremy Siskind (piano), Nancy Harms (vocals), and Lucas Pino (bass clarinet).

 

Here’s a link to a video from the same session, this for the song “Kneel.”

Here’s a link to the review of their last album, Finger-Songwriter. which received the #5 slot on my Best of 2012 list.

Have a great Sunday!

Cheers.

By • These are videos that I like • 0

Aug 1 2014

My new eMusic Jazz Picks are up at Wondering Sound

 

As most of you are aware, I have been writing a weekly column for eMusic.com that gives a rundown of the best of the new Jazz releases each week (my Jazz Picks).  Well, eMusic has spun off their editorial function to a completely separate site, called Wondering Sound.  It’s still an eMusic thing, but my Jazz Picks will now be posted over on the Wondering Sound site.

So don’t freak out when the link takes you to an unfamiliar site.  I’ll be reprinting this introduction for the next handful of weeks, just so that everyone becomes familiar with the changes.

Now, that said, my new recommendations have just been posted up on the Wondering Music site HERE.

Notable albums from this week’s article are:

Para - "Paraphore"Adam Baldych & Yaron Herman - "The New Tradition"  Pandelis Karayorgis - "Afterimage" Ernst Glerum & Uri Caine - "Sentimental Mood"

 

 

 

… plus a bunch of other solid options.  It was a pretty good week for new release jazz.  I think about 15 recs this week.  A little something for everyone.  Enjoy!

Cheers.

By • Announcement - Music • 0 • Tags: ,

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