Nov 17 2017
Recommended: Francesco Chiapperini’s InSight – “Paradigm Shift”
Paradigm Shift is the pattern of sharp images melting into alien shapes, and then reuniting again as something no less vivid, no less stunning than before, and also still vaguely familiar. Guitarist Simone Lobina drives the scorched earth melody of “France Mon Amour,” etching it onto the face of the tune, and even after he blurs its surface with a rambling solo, that melodic focus re-emerges when bass clarinetist Francesco Chiapperini picks up where it left off and carries it into new, unexpected directions. It’s a similar approach but a far more startling effect on “Promenade” when pianist Simone Quatrana‘s opening vision is spread out like moonlight across the floor when Chaipperini, switching over to soprano clarinet, guides it to a full bloom. That he cedes the development to Quatrana’s exquisite disassembly is just the prelude for when a similar, yet brand new vision manifests with echoes of that original melody.
Francesco Chiapperini’s InSight trio repeats this process over the course of seven pieces, and not one of them fails to achieve jaw-dropping moments of beauty. Paradigm Shift hit the shelves back in September of 2016, and had it been on my radar back then, there’s no doubt it would have earned a slot on that year’s Best Of list. It’s that good.
Your album personnel: Francesco Chiapperini (bass & soprano clarinets), Simone Lobina (electric guitar, effects) and Simone Quatrana (piano, electric piano).
Released on Aut Records.
Listen to more of the album at the label’s Bandcamp page.
Music from Milan, Italy.
This solo piano recording from Kasper Staub will treat your hangover right. And, it just so happens, if you were smart enough to avoid alcohol-related injuries Saturday night, the pianist’s 2016 release Aisle Arch Attic will be no less kind and no less peaceful to you and your morning. This music is contemplative, but it doesn’t forget there are listeners out there. It’s got a feel that is remarkably engaging for a session that is drowning in introspection. Melodies are simple and to the point and chart the quickest route to beauty. These pieces are breathed out patiently, as if there’s nowhere to go and no reason to leave. When a melody just hangs in the air, the stillness is electric.
The sophomore release from the sextet 
This trio set is comprised of half of the I Think You’re Awesome ensemble, but the music is far more straight-forward. Heart of Gold is a nice laid-back guitar session recorded at a house concert in Aarhus, Denmark. The material is situated firmly in modern territory, but that doesn’t prevent the bass and drums duo of Jens Mikkel Madsen and Andreas Skamby from inciting some motion that swings and shuffles and bops in its own particular way.
Think of a city that is the physical manifestation of a state of serenity. It is constructed with the building blocks of tranquility, and peacefulness is the binding agent that keeps its infrastructure in place. The daily commute is traversed via meditation. Birds chirp happily in the trees, cats curl up purring in your lap, and it’s a battle between a cheery sun and a cool breeze for which is the most soothing balm to your troubled soul. Everything is perfection- that’s what the tourism pamphlets would state, and nothing about the surroundings would give any other indication.
Jan 21 2018
Name Your Price: Ezra Collective – “Chapter 7”
Their 2017 release Juan Pablo: The Philosopher illustrated the group’s arresting concoction of Afrobeat, modern fusion, cosmic jazz, post bop, hip hop and any number of other influences that seemed interesting to them at the time. Their 2016 release Chapter 7 doesn’t spread out quite so far, and interesting to hear how they reformulate the ratios to which influences make their mark and how. It’s the same quintet as on Juan Pablo, just without the guest musicians.
If you’re new to Ezra Collective, Chapter 7 is a nice introduction. If you’re hip to their 2017 release, then count this album as more of the good stuff.
Your album personnel: Dylan Jones (trumpet), James Mollison (tenor sax), Joe Armon-Jones (piano), TJ Koleoso (bass) and Femi Koleoso (drums).
Learn more about the album, and download it, at the artist’s Bandcamp page.
It’s also available at Amazon for five bucks.
Every Sunday, we’ll be featuring an album set to sell at Name Your Price.
A quick note about Name Your Price etiquette: Whether marked Free or Name Your Price, this music is free for you to download. You should. The musicians want you to have it in your music library to enjoy. But if you’re reading this site, no matter how diverse your backgrounds and experiences and lives may be, I’m completely certain that you all give a damn about the musicians who make your lives better with their creative pursuits, and you’d like to support them. So, for those of you who don’t have a lot of familiarity with the Bandcamp NYP/Free models, here’s some approaches people commonly take:
Obviously, any funds these musicians raise is gonna get invested in making more music, so it’s in everyone’s best interests that we financially support the musicians who build the creative supports that we rely upon to get through life and to remind us how beautiful life can be.
Cheers.
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By davesumner • Jazz Recommendations - 2016 releases, Jazz Recommendations: the NYOP editions • 0 • Tags: Name Your Price