Album Preview

Elliot Galvin has a new album coming out.  The Influencing Machine is set to be released January 26th, 2018 on Edition Records.

The inspiration for the album is the book ‘The Influencing Machine’ by Mike Jay, an historical account of the life of James Tilly-Matthews, a double agent at the time of the French civil war and first fully documented case of a paranoid schizophrenic.

Here’s a preview of what’s to come…

Your album personnel:  Elliot Galvin (piano, analogue synthesisers, Hammond organ, self-hacked children’s toys), Tom McCredie (double bass) and Corrie Dick (drums).

You can learn more about the album and pre-order it on the label’s Bandcamp page.

Here’s the official promo video…

Multi-instrumentalist MAST has a new album on the horizon.  Thelonious Sphere Monk is getting released January 26, 2018 on World Galaxy Records (an imprint of Alpha Pup Records).  It’s an album of modern reinterpretations of Monk’s songbook, and if the rest of the album is as mesmerizing as the preview track, then you’ll have something to reach for once you’re done sifting through all of the Best of 2017 lists.

An all-star cast contributes to the album, including Chris Speed, Dan Rosenboom, Gavin Templeton, Jonah Levine, Jason Fraticelli, Brian Marsella, Makaya McCraven, and Anwar Marshall.

Here’s a preview of what’s to come…

You can pre-order the album on Bandcamp & Amazon

And here’s a nifty promo video…

The Goran Kajfeš Subtropic Arkestra have a new album on the horizon.  The Reason Why Vol. 3 is getting released November 3rd, 2017 on Kajfeš’ own label, Headspin Recordings.  It’s the final volume of the trilogy, and hints at the rich diversity of influences and expressions that have defined the series up to this point.  Kajfeš is one of the most inventive musicians currently on the scene.

Here’s a preview of what’s to come…

Your album personnel:  Goran Kajfeš (trumpet), Per “Ruskträsk” Johansson (saxophones, flute), Jonas Kullhammar (saxophones, flute), Per “Texas” Johansson (sax, clarinet, oboe), Reine Fiske (electric guitar, mellotron), Robert Östlund (electric guitar), Jesper Nordenström (organ, Fender Rhodes, piano, synthesizer), Johan Berthling (bass), Johan Holmegard (drums, percussion) and guest: Juan Romero (percussion).

You can learn more about the album, listen to it and pre-order purchase it on the artist’s Bandcamp page.  It’s also available at Amazon.

And you can read more about the first installment of the trilogy, as well as his intriguing 2010 release X/Y (go check it out).  The Reason Why Vol.1 was this site’s #25 album of the year on the Best of 2013 list.

Update (12/10/2017):  The album was included in my Best of Bandcamp Jazz column.

Bird is the Worm is very proud to feature an exclusive preview of the new album from Mikkel Ploug.  The guitarist has a remarkable talent for creating music that is highly conversant, yet still casts a palpable serenity.  He attains this balance flawlessly when matched against the vocal harmonics & electronics of Sissel Vera Pettersen and clarinetist Joachim Badenhorst with the trio Equilibrium, and it’s no different with his trio of bassist Jeppe Skovbakke and drummer Sean Carpio.  So, it comes as no surprise that the same potent combination of activity and tranquility is present when Ploug offers up a solo session recording.

With recent releases like 2014’s Liquid Light, 2015’s At Black Tornado, and 2016’s Live at Vancouver Jazz Festival, it’s led to Ploug becoming a site favorite.  2017’s Alleviation adds to that esteem.

Alleviation will see its release on October 27th, 2017 on the Songlines Recordings label.

Here, now, is an exclusive preview of that album.  Note:  The exclusive preview is now over, but here’s a partial stream of the release.

You can pre-order the recording on the artist’s Bandcamp page.  Worth noting that there’s a vinyl option in addition to the CD and digital formats.

You can learn more about the album and the artist on the Songlines Recordings site.

And you can check out everything else about Mikkel Ploug on his own site.