Dec 22 2016
Recommended: Joao Paulo Rosado Sinopse – “Ao Vivo na Porta Jazz”
Some albums have already pulled away from the curb and sped down the street before they finish their first melodic statement. And if they’re able to string that melodic utterance along for the entirety of the journey, the melody’s gradual unraveling at high speeds can be as thrilling as the music is beautiful. This live recording from João Paulo Rosado Sinopse is one such example. Of the seven tracks on Ao Vivo na Porta Jazz, five of them hit double digits in playing time (and the other two still clock in at no less than eight minutes apiece), and over the course of that duration, Rosado’s quintet builds each song around the development of those melodic ideas, both through the steady work of group effort and a relay of soloists.
And most of this happens at a gallop. Opening track “Chester” keeps a brisk pace from start to finish, and yet the song is rolled out with a disarming patience… almost negating the high-speed effects upon the sensation of the melody, as if the tempo wasn’t an accurate barometer of the passing of time. Meanwhile, “Ilusão” shows that the wonderful shaping of these songs isn’t reliant on a fast start. The quintet begins the song with the gentleness of a lullaby before gradually picking up the pace, and peaking just before a return to peace for the finale. On “Barbante,” the rhythm section goes old-school, and the inclusion of some swing and a bassline that walks with a familiar cadence is a comforting reminder that even the more out there tracks really haven’t wandered all that far from home.
A seriously absorbing album.
Your album personnel: João Paulo Rosado (double & electric basses), João Guimarães (saxophones), António Pedro Neves (guitar), Hugo Raro (piano) and António Torres Pinto (drums).
The album is Self-Produced.
Listen to more of the album at the artist’s Bandcamp page.
Jazz from the Porto, Portugal scene.
Cool cover art by Maria Monica.
Available at: Bandcamp
There’s a light, free-flowing cadence to Roque that’s pretty easy to connect with. Some of this has to do with the pop music sensibilities of the melodies, and how they’re sturdily crafted to stand on their own or serve as launching points for all kinds of improvisation. Then there’s the way that the rhythm section subtly modulates between folk, jazz and rock tempos, sometimes within the span of one song, playing a cerebral game with motion that keeps the foot guessing whether it should tap along or not. And then, arguably the greatest effect on this music’s lovely flow is the way the 
This is an album that’s all about conjuring up imagery. And not from a sharp, cinematic perspective, but more along the lines of the simultaneously incongruous and vague nature of dreams. Considering this is the debut of the 
This is an album with three strands of melody that are perpetually intertwining, the weaving patterns complex and the beauty so very simple. The trio of pianist Sandrine Machetti, guitarist Paul Jarret and the (mostly) wordless vocals of Loïs Le Van create an arresting melodic atmosphere that is about as enchanting as it gets. This is music that is completely tranquil, even when the trio raises up their voice… the serenity remains. Aside from a rendition of “Julia,” there are no songs here, per se, replaced, instead, by the metamorphosis of imagery, one vague shape after the other. This is seriously gorgeous music.
The melodies sort of rumble along on this interesting quintet session from saxophonist Eric Johnson, and the sense that it isn’t a singular motion driving them ahead adds an undercurrent of tension to what amounts to some rather arresting statements. The quintet features the alto sax and Rhodes of Peter Epstein and Adam Benjamin; the former adds some nifty textures to the contributions from Johnson’s tenor sax, while the latter is focused on providing essential contrast. “Lonely Lama” is a rare instance where they take a more conventional approach, and it really brings to light just how dynamic this group is. Also nice to feature an album that comes out of the Reno, Nevada scene.
There’s nothing random about how the trio of drummer Devin Gray, trumpeter Daniel Levine and pianist Marc Hannaford named themselves. Nothing about the melodies of their self-titled debut is straight-forward. Keeping an eye on them is difficult enough without taking into account the trouble of keeping up with the rhythmic motion. At first, the music is unpleasantly dizzying. But once adapted to the peculiar motions and odd melodicism, the element of fun rises to the surface, and keeping track of where the music is going at any one moment becomes a secondary consideration to simply accepting what comes your way. It’s a simpler way to listen to complex music, and has the added benefit of opening a window to a view of some pretty thrilling music.
More often than not, the melodies of the Inventions & Dimensions trio roll along like a road trip… the scenery changes from city to city, interstate to countryside and back again, and yet even with all of that differentiation, the changes still come off as being interconnected by the journey from the beginning of the song to its final destination. That the Minneapolis-based trio of bassist Chris Bates, pianist Joe Strachan and drummer Matt Buckner are able to pull this off and still keep the music solidly in modern straight-ahead territory is more than a little impressive. But more to the point, the music is more than a little bit enjoyable. Much more.
This Denver-based trio situates themselves dead center of the modern piano trio landscape. They shoot melodies out as crisp phrases, then run with them as far as they can, eventually returning back to the opening just before closing up shop on the song. Brisk tempos can pretty much be counted on across the board. On their Bandcamp page, the trio states that if you like GoGo Penguin, you’ll like Coexistence Trio… and in as much as that kind of comparative statement goes, it’s pretty accurate. The music is plenty enjoyable, if somewhat ordinary. But what earned the album a recommendation in today’s column are the passages in “Deep Space” and “Distorted Talks” when the trio released their foot from the gas pedal and showed some patience with those crisp melodies. Damn, they get an evocative tone, and the music resonates with more strength than all of the up-tempo pieces combined. It’s a promising sign, and it’d be interested to see what happens if it’s a direction they spend more time pursuing.
Dec 23 2016
And now, a Bird is the Worm holiday music recommendation special…
This deconstruction of popular holiday tunes might not meet your standards for gemstones, but the quartet of tenor saxophonist Brad Linde, soprano saxophonist Patrick Booth, guitarist Aaron Quinn and drummer Jonathan Taylor have served up a little gift with this free improv session.
Each track gets increasingly more strange. It starts with the subtle restraint of “Little Drummer Boy,” ratchets things up with a peaceful-to-chaotic impression of “Let it Snow,” then shifts over to an ominous “Up On the Housetop” before ending with a version of “Twas the Night Before Christmas” that might’ve been pulled straight from a Tom Waits holiday-themed nightmare.
This is Cleats, and their album Xmas And…
Your album personnel: Brad Linde (tenor sax), Patrick Booth (soprano sax), Aaron Quinn (guitar) and Jonathan Taylor (drums).
The album is Self-Produced.
Listen to more of the album at the artist’s Bandcamp page.
Jazz from the Washington, DC scene.
Available at: Bandcamp
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By davesumner • Jazz Recommendations, Jazz Recommendations - 2016 releases • 0