Jazz Recommendations – 2017 releases

This is one of those recordings where the musicians hurtle forward and anything that gets in their way does so at its own risk.  But the driven intensity of the Detroit-Cleveland Trio of saxophonist Jason Rigby, bassist Cameron Brown and drummer Gerald Cleaver possesses the essential counterweight of differentiating momentum, where a tempo that’s the result of foot to pedal and pedal to floor is married to an unhurried melodic delivery.  It gives the music of One an illusory sense of things moving slowly and an illusory sense of things moving fast… all depending on which aspect of the music is receiving attention.  “Live By the Sword” is arguably the most striking example of this hypnotic sensory effect, with Rigby’s saxophone moving at a pace all its own.  However, the back and forth between Brown and Cleaver on “Dorian Gray” shows that the manipulation isn’t solely the province of saxophone.  Interpretations of classics like “You Are Too Beautiful” and “Embraceable You” isolate the trio’s sense of lyricism, and a rendition of Herbie Hancock’s “Speak Like a Child” is an unexpected treat, but when it’s all boiled down, the trio is at its strongest when performing its own original material.

Your album personnel:  Jason Rigby (tenor & soprano saxophones), Cameron Brown (bass) and Gerald Cleaver (drums).

Released on Fresh Sound New Talent.

Listen to another album track on the artist’s Soundcloud page.

Music from NYC.

Available at:  Amazon | eMusic

There’s a beguiling motion to Halda Ema.  Each piece on the latest from Alex Bonney gives the impression of ambivalence toward the subject of structure and form… things to be discarded without a second thought.  But a strong presence grows out of the frenzied crosscurrents of notes, and this in turn traces out a shape where, perhaps, none was intended.  It is the equivalent of a river, hurtling toward the ocean, and without the use of banks or shores to aid in direction.  “Pangolin Husbandry” and its counterpart “TRI-X Dreams” dance in space, and after a solemn introduction, “New Horizons” joins with them in a song of celebration.  The soulful “Awakening Song” has the same effect but at a much calmer pace.  And despite the sudden bursts of velocity, the sluggish roll-out of melody on “Mobiles” gives the sensation of the early onset of jet lag settling in just as the plane has maximized its speed for takeoff.

The interplay between cornetist Bonney and the bass clarinet of James Allsopp keeps the music light on its feet, even when they paint the melody with long, thick brushstrokes.  This effect, when conjoined with the darting motion of bassist Olie Brice and drummer Jeff Williams, creates a foundation where stark differentials between the melodic and rhythmic development can do nothing to sever the ties that bind them together in the same oddly disjointed flow.  And through all of this is a sound that recalls music of the past as much as present, of the age of jazz when inside-out music first took hold of the scene, and where traditional elements and visionary aspirations found a home in the same form of expressionism.

Your album personnel:  Alex Bonney (cornet), James Allsopp (bass clarinet), Olie Brice (bass) and Jeff Williams (drums).

Released by the Loop Collective.

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

Music from London.

Available at:  Bandcamp

Every now and then I give a rundown of recent releases on the ECM Records label.  They were one of the early advocates of what’s loosely termed Nordic Jazz (typically serene, ambient to the point of flirting with new age or minimalism, and often imbued with folk music from Norway or thereabouts) as well as the even more loosely termed World Jazz (jazz with specific or vague regional folk influences).  In any event, me and the music of ECM Records go way back and some of my very favorite albums were released by the label, so out of fondness if nothing else, every now and then I write up a column like this one and put down a few words about recent releases of note.

Let’s begin.

Ralph Towner – My Foolish Heart

Ralph Towner isn’t breaking any new ground here.  This isn’t his first solo set, and My Foolish Heart doesn’t fall out of line with his past solo recordings.  Furthermore, the album doesn’t stray far from the ECM Records aesthetic.  Towner has recorded for that label for decades, and no matter whether it’s a solo set, a duo collaboration or an ensemble work, the guitarist is going to provide some potent atmospherics.  But what distinguishes Towner’s personal voice from the rest of the crowd (aside from its sublime beauty) is how he instigates the illusion of edginess… the sense that the abiding serenity might suddenly crack in two and get replaced by something just a little bit dangerous.  His rendition of title-track “My Foolish Heart” speaks to that effect, as the brief, unexpected bursts and punchy bits of melody stir the air with just enough tension to keep the ear wary and at attention.  But that said, the reason to scoop this album up is because of its immense peacefulness, and how it pairs immaculately with either the rising sun or the gentle embrace of moonlight on a Summer’s eve.

Your album personnel:  Ralph Towner (classical & 12-string guitars)

Stream an album track at the ECM Records site.

Learn more about the album on the ECM Records site.

Available at:  Amazon

Chris Potter – The Dreamer is the Dream

There’s always a sense of professionalism in the way saxophonist Chris Potter goes about constructing an album, and his newest doesn’t take a detour from his successful formula.  This straight-ahead session invites melodies to take plenty of time in the spotlight, allows the rhythmic components plenty of opportunities to stray from the beaten path, and fits in numerous slots for each member of the quartet to squeeze in some solo contributions.  The title-track “The Dreamer is the Dream” is a case in point, as the bass solo from Joe Martin is a nice conversational aside, yet remains connected to the composition’s established dialog…. the sense of which is cemented in place by the drums and cymbals of Marcus Gilmore.  Potter receives widespread acclaim as one of the top saxophonists on the scene, and nothing about his performance on The Dreamer is the Dream will change that opinion.  Nothing particularly groundbreaking about his newest, but that’s an ancillary concern when the music is this solid.

Your album personnel:  Chris Potter (tenor & soprano saxophones, bass clarinet, clarinet, ilimba, flute, samples), David Virelles (piano, celeste), Joe Martin (double bass) and Marcus Gilmore (drums).

Learn more about the album on the ECM Records site.

Available at:  Amazon

Tomasz Stanko New York Quartet – December Avenue

Not enough importance can be attached to the pairing of trumpeter Tomasz Stanko and pianist David Virelles.  Stanko has a breathy sound that plumes out and slowly dissipates, like dream imagery fading under pressure of waking sunlight.  Virelles, on the other hand, shapes a melody with the precise folds and creases of origami, and the resulting imagery is a sharp picture, clear as unblemished glass.  The balance between those two, and how each quality complements the other, is a huge boon to the overall sound of this album.  Hazy acoustics and an atmospheric presence never becomes susceptible to the risk of sleepiness, and the striking moments of clarity and definition never threaten to obliterate the dreamlike imagery summoned up by the New York Quartet.  Ultimately, however, this is an album to kick back and just lose oneself in.

Your album personnel:  Tomasz Stanko (trumpet), David Virelles (piano), Reuben Rogers (double bass) and Gerald Cleaver (drums).

Learn more about the album on the ECM Records site.

Available at:  Amazon

Avishai Cohen – Cross My Palm With Silver

There’s a seriously mesmerizing effect to how trumpeter Avishai Cohen paints a song as the shadow to swing.  He plays tricks with the tempo, making something conventional feel otherworldly, while allowing a strong melodic afterimage to linger long after the music shows it won’t necessarily behave as expected.  His newest is no different in that regard, and his quartet with pianist Yonathan Avishai, bassist Barak Mori and drummer Nasheet Waits alternates between songs spun from moonlight and those that suddenly flame up in dramatic bursts of intensity.  It’s the kind of thing that’s conducive to full immersion in the present moment while simultaneously gazing out at the album’s enticingly close horizon line.  You can’t go wrong with this one.

Your album personnel:  Avishai Cohen (trumpet), Yonathan Avishai (piano), Barak Mori (double bass) and Nasheet Waits (drums).

Learn more about the album on the ECM Records site.

Available at:  Amazon

There’s a liveliness to LoS cArLiToS cOnTrAaTaCaN that kicks up all kinds of cheerfulness, and the way the quartet Los Carlitos offer up a melody is the emotional equivalent of beaming a wide smile.  The sophomore release from trumpeter Esteban Garvie, saxophonist Federico Viceconte, bassist Leandro Camus and drummer Luciano Monte is an exclamation point of post-bop effusiveness, and even when they work in early-period bop or classical influences, the music still rings with the clarity of today.  The music’s wide smile doesn’t hold back on the sense of humor, either.  Recordings of Diego Maradona make their way into some pieces.  They follow the gospel tones of “El Die 1” with a part two that begins by obliterating the structure built by its predecessor.  Melodies are as often drawled out with a boozy enthusiasm.  Sometimes the quartet breaks into song.  And all of it is just so much damn fun.

I’m so happy to have stumbled upon this recording.  It had me smiling from first note to last.

Your album personnel:  Esteban Garvie (trumpet), Federico Viceconte (tenor sax, clarinet), Luciano Monte (drums) and Leandro Camus (double bass).

Released on Discos ICM.

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

Music from Mar Del Plata, Argentina.

Available at:  Bandcamp

There’s something terribly sincere and heartfelt about this music.  The sound isn’t of the highest quality.  It might be just a demo.  But something about the lo-fi nature of Angel Dawid‘s The Joy of Living adds to the genuineness of the music.  The impression is of a musician, one with her instrument, blocking out everything around her and just playing from the heart.

Title-track “The Joy of Living” switches between solemn expressions and those that dart frenetically about.  This sense of reverence for the moment is something that carries throughout the recording.  It occurs on the woozy lullaby “Smilin’ Billie” and the sing-song “Rivers of Babylon.”  The song with the simple title “Blues” possesses a dancing motion that strongly hints at song structure.  When it begins to break form, melodic strands shoot up in separate directions before coming together again.  The vocals of “Home” are all soul.

Anyways, I just wanted to get this on your radar.  It’ll be interesting to see what else comes down the pipe from this artist.

Your album personnel:  Angel Elmore (clarinet, keys) and guest: Rahel Powell (bass).

The album is Self-Produced.

Listen to more of the album at the artist’s Bandcamp page.

Music from Chicago.

Available at:  Bandcamp