Jazz Recommendations – 2016 releases

Considering he often embraces the role of one-man band, the music of multi-instrumentalist Robert Stillman is bound to possess a perspective not easily deciphered.  When he’s in the thick of a collaboration, as he in his work with the Future Archaic Players project, the encompassing sound is one recognizable as a Stillman type of expressionism, but it’s wildly effusive and an open book.  But the introspective nature of a solo act, where meanings are partially obscured by the self-engrossed, contemplative environment it springs from, that’s a tougher nut to crack, and meanings always remain partially obscured, just out reach.

It’s the kind of thing that keeps an ear glued in place, hanging on every note.

And it’s a quality that holds true on his newest, Rainbow, a dedication to his family.  And just as there’s nothing conventional about his music, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Stillman expands the definition of “family” to include the City of Kent where he resides and the station wagon that takes him to and from his family, to and from his city, back and forth through life.  Inevitably, memories are going to be swept up in the act of creativity… in some instances, inform them, and in more extreme scenarios, become an omnipresent compulsion.  Rainbow is about Stillman’s family, present and passed, organic, mechanic and conceptual, and his use of instruments old and modern, those born of nature and those crafted from science all converge to present a multifaceted work of music, as varied and rich and sublime and flawed as life.

There’s an abiding mournful tone to title-track “Rainbow,” though its chattering percussion and brisk tempo imply an action not suited for contemplation.  It’s a nice dichotomy, and Stillman uses it to great effect at several powerful moments on the recording.  “Ruthie in May” exists in a state between urgent tempos and contented sighs, of percussion and keyboards murmuring below the surface while the sunlight of woodwinds shines gentle and bright in twisting melodic patterns.  “As He Walked Into the Field” and “Warren is a Great Car” are upbeat and cheerful, but the slow pulse of the first and the repetitive layering of the second build up to a serious gravity not so easily smiled away.  And the vocal interlude “Field With Pops” ambiguously suggests both potent melancholia and lighthearted contentment.  On the other hand, the album finale of “Epilogue” leaves no doubt.

A terribly engrossing album, and the fascinating discography of Robert Stillman grows by yet one more.

Your album personnel:  Robert Stillman (woodwinds, pianos, drums, and electronic sound).

Released on Orindal Records.

Listen to other album tracks on the label’s Soundcloud page.

Jazz from East Kent, England scene.

Available at:  eMusic | Amazon

*****

And be sure to check out one of Stillman’s non-solo recordings, Station Wagon Interior, a Jeff Fahey tribute that includes contributions by saxophonist Jeremy Udden, trumpeter Kenny Warren, tubist Ben Stapp and trombonist Dave Noyes.

Read more on this site (LINK).

It’s not just that the melodies of Fly Magic reach out like a firm handshake, gripping the attention tight, but it’s the delightful way saxophonist Timo Vollbrecht creates diversions for those gaps in time between melodic appearances that rounds out his debut’s magnetic personality.  There’s the way “Paco” transitions from flighty statements of saxophone melody to the salt-of-the-earth growls from guitarist Keisuke Matsuno.  And there’s the way “Pretty Now” trades the sweet melodic passages of saxophone for captivating guitar curls and hypnotic cycles from vibraphonist Chris Dingman.  “A New York Love Affair” partitions its changes off, moving from swooning melodic phrases and tiny hints of surf rock before sprinting to the finish line with a captivating post-rock surge of melodicism.  “Globus” sees a sharpness brought to the table for the melody, effected by Matsuno’s guitar and the punctuated jabs from drummer Jason Burger.  It’s an edge that is further accentuated by a wavering harmonic fog that sees vibes and guitar framed by bassist Sam Anning.  It’s a formula that also works well on “Slothchops,” which switches between crunchy jazz-rock melodic passages and a guitar loop immersion… more than one occasion that the quintet hints at a detour into the kind of strange, eerie beauty most associated with Bill Frisell’s post-NYC works.

And even though it’s the melodic introductions and the harmonic diversions that reflect this album’s winning characteristic, even with all the changes entailed with the quintet’s approach and diverse expressionism, the group keeps a steady-as-she-goes tempo that’s suited for both states of being, each accentuating something new about the rhythm section’s contribution, and each making contributions to shepherding the tunes along.

The tail end of the recording begins to meander a bit and lose its focus.  The melodies are still beautiful as hell and the harmonic accompaniment has all kinds of allure, but the development of each song isn’t quite as crisp or incisive as the album’s first half, and the interactions between melodic and harmonic states aren’t quite as distinct from one another.  Admittedly, this is a pretty mild criticism, since the album’s second half gets dinged only because the first half is so enchanting.  But all in all, this is a wonderful recording, first note to last.

Your album personnel:  Timo Vollbrecht (tenor sax, clarinet), Keisuke Matsuno (guitar), Sam Anning (bass), Jason Burger (drums) and Chris Dingman (vibraphone).

Released on Berthold Records.

Listen to more album tracks at the artist’s Soundcloud page.

Available at:  Amazon | eMusic

On their debut Tokyo/Kuopio, the Finnish Trio Katu Kaiku roll out thick melodies that ring with clarity, and by making them the centerpiece of each tune, it frees up the saxophone-drums-bass trio to counter it with any number of divergent rhythmic patterns.  Tracks like “Well Well Wells” and “Cherry Blossom” pour the melody out at different speeds, but each makes it easy to follow from the source of the river to its mouth.  The former shows an angrier side, but even the flurries of staggered percussion and sharp dissonance don’t diminish the strength of the melody.  The latter values structure and focus, and it pays off with an appealing tunefulness.  And in both instances, the bass arco of Mikael Saastamoinen provides some welcome texture to the luxuriant melodicism of saxophonist Adele Sauros.

“Supernova” continues the trend of a heavy melodic presence, and the way it erupts with volatility and dissonance is further evidence of how the trio is freed by those thick melodies, not anchored to them.  And both “Last Minute at the Disco” and “My First Hit Song” are examples of how the trio is able to exploit the rhythmic possibilities of their melodic approach without necessarily having to roam far home base.  Most tracks fall into the modern tradition, but drummer Erik Fräki and bassist Saastamoinen bring some swing on the warm, upbeat tune “Wayne Was Here.”

A very fun album.

Your album personnel:  Erik Fräki (drums), Adele Sauros (saxophones) and Mikael Saastamoinen (double bass).

The album is Self-Produced.

Listen to more of the album on the artist’s Soundcloud page.

Jazz from the Helsinki, Finland scene.

Available at:  Amazon | eMusic

Rita Collective derives its name from the Anouar Brahem recording The Astounding Eyes of Rita, though it goes deeper than that.  This quartet of bass clarinet, marimba, acoustic bass and percussion charts a course similar to that of Brahem, who finds his own home in jazz for his oud and singular form of jazz-folk-chamber fusion.  Rita Collective isn’t a Brahem clone, nor are they a tribute act, but they do occupy a common patch of turf as Brahem on the jazz landscape.

The quartet shifts the ratio between jazz and chamber, but never to where one masks the existence of the other.  “No Return” has a pleasant swing to it, but the chamber elements provide the chill of shadow to the tempo’s beaming sunlight.  After an extended period of contemplation, “Slow Snow” gradually reveals itself as a post-bop, with Dean Keller‘s bass clarinet adding just a little bit of, but essential, edge.  When the quartet leans more to the chamber influence, tunes like “Dark Heart” and “Gotta Gig(ue)” lend some nice moodiness and introspection to the affair, even when accompanied with a burst of playfulness.

“The Astounding Eyes of Rita” is one of two Anouar Brahem compositions presented by the quartet, along with “Dances With Waves,” from that same recording.  The personality of the latter tune really shines bright from the melodic contribution from the marimba of Kristen Shiner McGuire, both when it’s out front in the spotlight, but even more effectively in the way it bolsters the contribution from Keller’s bass clarinet.

“Sky Sketches” uses a Miles Davis composition for its seed and gains a bloom of an upbeat tune with alluring melodic lines.  Guest Mark Collins adds some welcome texture on flugelhorn, yielding some scope for the bass clarinet’s tonal range.  A rendition of Rage Against the Machine’s “Killing in the Name Of” strays a bit too far from the album’s center of gravity, but it does let percussionist Matt Bevan-Perkins stretch out and exert his influence over the proceedings.  Along those same lines, the chipper “No Return” lets bassist Kyle Vock flex his muscle while also doing his part to keep the song scooting along.

A nice addition to the chamber jazz sub-genre, and a solid option for those of you looking for some bass clarinet action.

Your album personnel:  Dean Keller (bass clarinet), Kristen Shiner McGuire (marimba), Kyle Vock (acoustic bass), Matt Bevan-Perkins (percussion) and guest: Mark Collins (flugelhorn).

The album is Self-Produced.

Listen to more of the album on the artist’s Soundcloud page.

Jazz from the Rochester, NY scene.

Available at:  Amazon | CDBaby | eMusic