Jazz Recommendations – 2017 releases

It’s pretty thrilling how each piece on Suite Salada begins as the thin flame of a solitary match and then gradually builds up to a raging conflagration.  Albert Cirera and his Tres Tambors unit have an exquisite touch at modulating the intensity of a piece, with an eye on a finish line located at the extremes.  But what marks this marvelous recording as something special is how the quartet focuses their lyricism through that torrent of intensity, and the miraculous way a melody not only retains its shape, but is able to express itself delicately when the moment calls.  And while this music resonates with the jazz and folk of the Barcelona scene, there are passages on this recording that echo the joyful grooves of Keith Jarrett’s 1970s output with his American Quartet.  That’s no small thing, and quite honestly, there should be a hell of a lot more of it.  I’m more than a bit addicted to this recording.  Results may vary… but probably not.  Expect for this album to hit you like a drug.

Music from Barcelona, Spain.

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Yes, there’s the political inspiration this album is built upon and there’s also the willful channeling of music from the past, but what really makes the new release from Cat Toren’s HUMAN KIND so damn thrilling is how the pianist sets in motion a series of acts where things begin to fall apart and then come back together just on the brink of annihilation.  There’s a melody.  It’s often quite beautiful and in possession of a serious magnetism.  And Toren lights the whole thing on fire, and lets it rage out of control before, somehow, guiding it all back down to a single flame.  Sometimes the conflagration is more akin to a fireplace warmth, but the transition of divide and unity is no less dramatic.  A powerful recording.  Also, bonus points for incorporating an oud into the proceedings.

Music from Brooklyn, NY.

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I love the way this album sings.  Every expression has got so much feel, and the energy radiating from each note comes through strong and bright.  The debut from Kati Briens Dream Band sets off the bright tones of alto sax against the darker tones of bass clarinet, in that same way both a glorious summer afternoon benefits from the warmth of sunbeams and the shadows cooling off the breeze.  The sextet, consisting of two alto saxophonists, a trombonist and a bass clarinetist, makes good use of the harmonic avenues open to it, while the bass and drums rhythm section adds some definition to melodies that might otherwise run free and wild.  Melodies are cast out sharp and clear before the ensemble begins to murky the waters and have some fun splashing about.  Even when the music grows introspective, the sense of a weightless motion carries things along.  Happy Music is not even a little bit accidentally named.

Music from Berlin, Germany.

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After the explosion set off on the jazz scene by Kamasi Washington‘s 2015 masterwork The Epic, it was inevitable that the follow-up might not be received with the same jolt of electricity.  That’s okay.  An excess of hype has a strange way of skewing perceptions and altering the interface with whatever is right there in front of us.  It’s rather refreshing to be able to experience Washington’s new release in something of a vacuum.  And though its scale is dramatically pared down from the crazily sprawling three-disc The Epic, it’s no less enjoyable.  Harmony of Difference keeps in line with The Epic, exploring convergences between spiritual, cosmic, and post-bop with a series of dramatic harmonic builds, catchy melodies and contemporary grooves.  There’s a joyfulness to this music that eclipses its curious forms of expression, and, ultimately, that’s why this music carries like it does.  There’s something special going on here, and it’s a hopeful thing that Washington isn’t yet done exploring this particular vision.

Music from Los Angeles, CA.

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