Beyond Jazz Reviews

Feb 23 2016

Recommended: Erlend Apneseth Trio – “Det Andre Rommet”

 

Erlend Apneseth - Det Andre RommetIt’s a compelling sophomore release from Erlend Apneseth, and a huge step up from his debut.  That debut, Blikkspor, was just a vehicle to display his talent on Hardanger fiddle.  The album was very much in the folk idiom and didn’t really seem to aspire to anything more than what would normally be expected.  On the other hand, his newest, Det Andre Rommet, is a fascinating display of his range on fiddle, encompassing a number of different influences and forms of expression.  Apneseth is joined again by guitarist Stephan Meidell and drummer Øyvind Hegg-Lunde, and this time around they really mesh as a working trio, with each member’s voice informing the proceedings.  This, plus a deft use of electronic effects and alternate percussion really provides the affair with a huge surge of personality.

Some tracks eschew influence for the development of a certain ambiance.  “Trollsuiten” is the welcoming warmth of a fireside seat, the strings serving as a comforting blanket of harmony while issuing melodic fragments that flicker with an enchanting motion.  The warped effects of “Under Isen” are no less striking than the ringing of bells, and the meshing of sounds electronic and organic add flavor to this multidimensional recording.  The fluttering “Dialog” is nothing more, nothing less than a solitary feather caught up in the wind’s embrace.

But then there are those tracks that can be traced back to established forms of expression.  Title-track “Det Andre Rommet” grows increasingly free and dissonant from its opening expressions, which more resembled the twinkling of distant stars on a clear night.  The Nordic folk element comes through strong on “Sapporo” and “St Thomas-klokkene,” whereas on a track like “Magma,” the indie-rock element shines through with an ambient drone and warped melodicism reminiscent more of Radiohead than jazz.  “Hugskot” brings all of these influences together with a balanced approach and an alluring tunefulness.

Plenty of gorgeous moments on this unconventional recording… one that shows an artist whose creative arc is in ascension.

Your album personnel:  Erlend Apneseth (Hardanger fiddle), Stephan Meidell (guitar, effects) and Øyvind Hegg-Lunde (drums, percussion).

Released on Hubro Music.

Listen to additional album tracks on the artist’s Soundcloud page (LINK).

Music from the Aal, Buskerud, Norway scene.

Available at:  eMusic | Amazon

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Apr 28 2015

Recommended: Vincent Courtois – “West”

 

Vincent Courtois - "West"West is an absolutely captivating chamber jazz session from cellist Vincent Courtois, and it joins an impressive collection of similar projects released over the years, each of them enchanting in their own way.

On his newest, he’s joined by frequent collaborators, saxophonist Daniel Erdmann and multi-reedist Robin Fincker, as well as pianist Benjamin Moussay.  Interspersed throughout are solo cello pieces, and the shift between an austere beauty and the subtle, yet dynamic textures of the collaborative pieces creates an ebb and flow that is positively magnetic.

The slow harmonic build of “So Much Water So Close To Home” is matched beautifully with a quivering melody.  The gentle raindrops of “1852 Metres Plus Tard” is a slow reveal of sharp flashes of lightning.  “Modalites” is a gripping crosshatch of layers and permutations of repetition.  “Nowhere” is cold moonlight and “L’intuition” is the lonely soul staring up at it.  “West” soars & gallops simultaneously while “Freaks” is an old soul strolling slow.

The frantic march of “Tim au Nohic” dials it down for “Désarçonné” without sacrificing a bit of its fervor.  When it dials it back up for “Semaphore,” the flow of the transitions is as natural as water wending its way between rocks in a stream.

Some of the tunes hit a solemn Sunday morning jazz while others veer off into classical and ambient territory more akin to a Steve Reich or Brian Eno.  This is peaceful music that flashes some sharp teeth from time to time… and ultimately winds up being a massively sublime affair.  The album ends with a reprise of “1852 Metres Plus Tard,” and emphasizes exactly that last point.

Your album personnel:  Vincent Courtois (cello, guide chant), Daniel Erdmann (tenor sax), Robin Fincker (clarinet, tenor sax) and Benjamin Moussay (piano, harpsichord, celesta, toy piano).

Released on La Buissonne.

Listen on Bandcamp.  Explore the artist on Soundcloud.

Music from France.

Available at:  Bandcamp | eMusic | Amazon

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Apr 11 2015

Recommended: Linus – “Linus + Skarbø / Leroux”

 

Linus - "Linus, Skarbo, Leroux"Linus+Skarbø/Leroux is a massively captivating session from past Wondering Sound Pick of the Week, guitarist Ruben Machtelinckx, who, along with saxophonist Thomas Jillings, create the duo Linus.  As with other projects, Machtelinckx brings a number of different instruments belonging to the guitar family, and Jillings does the same with the reed instruments.

Joining them for this session are Frederik Leroux and Øyvind Skarbø.  The former’s arsenal matches that of Machtelinckx, while the latter adds a nice dose of percussion and some nifty waves of Hammond organ, which, along with Jillings’ modicum of synthesizer, adds some hazy atmospherics to rustic music.  It’s a blend of folk, electronic, jazz and, well, experimental, I suppose.  It’s serene as all hell, but possesses lots of quirks and jagged edges to bring out a lively personality.

The song “Down” accompanies a brisk cadence with a chipper bounce, and it provides all kinds of handholds for strings and sax to launch bits of melody.  The quartet’s brief flirtation with chaos only brings further attention to the song’s prevailing tranquility.  “Finco” adopts a similar approach, but the tempo is one made for effortlessly coasting across.

“Porch,” on the other hand, has the accidental tempo of sporadic rain tapping against a tin roof.  The sense of melody seems equally random, and that is the song’s strength and its charm.

“Sketch” is the rustle of brittle Autumn leaves, kicked up by a stiff breeze.  “Woodstock” is a ray of sun shining down upon it, warming the surface of everything it touches.

“LaBoeuf” is the most cohesively tuneful song on the album, with a pretty melody to lead the way and a straight-forward rhythm to help shepherd it along.  A little twang and a few growls just draw out a bit more personality from the tune.

There are three faux interludes on the recording.  The first brief piece, “Vaag,” opens the album with a peaceful drone.  “Vlaag” is placed near the middle of the album, and also features a drone, but one that swims in atonality.  The album ends with “Vraag,” a piece situated somewhere in between those two extremes.  It’s a lovely way to round out a terribly lovely album.

Your album personnel:  Ruben Machtelinckx (banjo, guitar, acoustic baritone guitar), Thomas Jillings (tenor & C-melody saxophone, alto clarinet, synthesizers), Frederik Leroux (banjo, guitar, baritone guitar) and Øyvind Skarbø (drums, Hammond organ).

Released on El Negocito Records.

Listen to more of the album on the label’s Bandcamp page.

Music from the Antwerp, Belgium scene.

Explore the artists’ music on their Soundcloud pages.

Available at:  Bandcamp | CDBaby | eMusic | Amazon

*****

Ruben Machtelinckx - "Flock"Be sure to check out Ruben Machtelinckx‘s Flock, which has him presenting a similar sound with a different quartet.  It was my Wondering Sound Pick of the Week when the album was released at the tail end of 2014.  I still think quite highly of it.  Read more at Bird is the Worm (LINK).

***

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Apr 5 2015

Something Different: Evan Tighe “Threadcount” & Rob Mosher “Polebridge”

A new edition of Something Different, which features albums that sit way out on the fringes of jazz territory, featuring Evan Tighe Threadcount and Rob Mosher Polebridge.

*****

 

Evan Tighe – Threadcount

Evan Tighe - "Threadcount"There’s an appealing edginess to the music of Evan Tighe‘s Threadcount.  It’s a cerebral set of avant-garde pieces that work the fine lines between jazz and contemporary classical.  Instruments often double back, sensing that other instruments are following them.  And they are.  The obliteration of melodies is made beautiful in their rebirth as lovely harmonies.

The double saxophone attack slices and dices melodies before they get in so much as a word, but it’s the contrast between the slow motion dissection and the brisk tempos that leaves such an unsettled feeling.  The opening “Folklore” executes this approach with a parade of motifs, each changing into something new before anything else can become old.  But then, with a track like “The Accident of Form,” the distillation of punctuated cadences and an illusory call-and-response results in a tune that, oddly, incites the kind of head-bopping more often associated with far catchier tunes.

And that’s what typifies the music of Threadcount… the tiny islands of simplicity in a sea of complexities.

Your album personnel:  Evan Tighe (drums, percussion, melodica, toy piano), Erik Hove (alto sax), Adam Kinner (tenor sax), Joshua Zubot (violin), and Remi-Jean Leblanc (bass).

This Self-Produced album was released in 2013.

Music from the Montreal, Quebec, Canada scene.

Available at:  Bandcamp | eMusic | Amazon

*****

 

Rob Mosher – Polebridge

Rob Mosher - "Polebridge"Rob Mosher describes Polebridge as “improvised chamber music for the Wild West.  Imagine Schumann and Prokofiev drunk at a saloon piano,” which certainly qualifies as a Genre Of One.  Mosher takes the mix of jazz, classical, folk and bits of other influences and guides it into a confluence of sound with its own particular flow.  He doesn’t switch between genres; it’s just a matter of which characteristics emerge within the stream of ideas.

The album’s first half is a display of odd meters and curious movements, whereas the second half of the album brings a melodic focus into play.

“Rango’s Tango” delights in bursts of locomotion that retain a stately elegance even when drawled slowly out.  “Marigold” scales tall heights, and then scrabbles back downhill to start all over again.  The mesmerizing “North by Northwest” has an icy beauty that emits some genuine warmth for its brief duration.  “Around the Bend” also offers up a crisp melody, but unlike its predecessor, Mosher’s ensemble spends time developing it in thrilling directions.  “Didn’t Ask (Breathe Now)” works both angles, switching between a tranquil drone and lively gestures… the result being a tune equally adept at lulling the ear into a peaceful sleep or keeping it alert with anticipation.

An album likely to elicit all kinds of intrigue.

Your album personnel:  Rob Mosher (soprano sax, clarinet, English horn), Micah Killion (trumpet), John Marcus (violin), Stephanie Nilles (piano, organ, vox), Andrew Small (acoustic bass) and guests: Peter Lutek (bassoon, contra alto clarinet) and Petr Cancura (mandolin).

This Self-Produced album was released in 2013.

Music from NYC.

Available at: CDBaby – Amazon

***

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Feb 7 2015

Recommended: Nelson Foltz & Tom Lynn – “Departure”

 

Nelson Foltz, Tom Lynn - "Departure"Departure is the sixth installment from Nelson Foltz and Tom Lynn in their Still Life series.  The foundation is all soundscape.  What grows out of that environment, whether it be melancholy jazz passages, ambient pop music inspirations or a modern classical minimalism that borders on noir cinema, the result sounds organic and genuine, a natural byproduct of saying much with very little.

There’s a bit of a love song to the entire affair.  Sometimes a trumpet calls down the moonlight for a spin.  Sometimes percussion works in a gentle groove to mimic the beating heart during a moment of romance.  Sometimes a vocalist coos out words that dance with the hypnotic motion of a flickering candle.  But regardless of the form the sound takes, eventually is all melts down into a soothing, ambient drone.

It’s quite beautiful.

Your album personnel:  Nelson Foltz (trombone, bass trombone, tank drum, wine glass, bass, ebow bass, temple bowl, harmonium, kalimba), Tom Lynn (bass, tenor saxophone, bass clarinet, flute, tank drum, ebow bass, kalimba, chordun, doudouk), Juliette Commagere (vocals), Hildegunn Gjedrem (vocals), Joachim Cooder (drums, percussion), Gerry Leonard (guitar, loops), David Cook (piano, wurlitzer, rhodes), Michael Pearce (bass), Greg Dinunzi (lap steel) and Julia Hülsmann (piano).

Released in 2014 on the Stillsounds label.

Music that splits its time between the Berlin & NYC scenes.

Available at:  CDBaby | Amazon

 

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

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