Jazz Recommendations – 2017 releases

Jan 25 2017

Recommended: Maarten Hogenhuis Trio – “Mimicry”

 

Mimicry is a wonderful straight-ahead saxophone session from the trio of Maarten Hogenhuis, bassist Thomas Rolff and drummer Mark Schilders.  Hogenhuis has an appealingly casual delivery that is generous with restraint and heavy with lyricism.  Shaping the melody like a flickering candlelight, Hogenhuis translates this to the trio’s rhythmic approach, which often gives the impression of a dancing flame.  When the trio slows things down on “The Single Petal of a Rose-Le Sucrier Velours” and “Sonder,” the music exudes thick emotions that draw the attention in, but it’s when they scoot along at a brisker pace that the fun emerges.  For instance, “Coko” dares the foot not to tap along to the tempo and the hyperactive “Three Monkeys” can’t sit still, doesn’t even try.

I enjoyed this album right from the start.  Each subsequent listen only increases my adoration of the recording.

Your album personnel:  Maarten Hogenhuis (saxophones), Thomas Rolff (double bass) and Mark Schilders (drums).

The album is Self-Produced.

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

Music from the Amsterdam scene.

Available at:  Bandcamp | Amazon

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Jan 23 2017

Recommended: Renato Dias Trio – “Suspiro”

 

The debut from guitarist Renato Dias is a nice, laid-back affair, and heavy with a dreamy atmosphere.  Joined by bassist Filipe Teixeira and drummer Filipe Monteiro, the trio patiently explores each melody in an environment where tempos often have the presence of an urgent whisper.  The emerging pattern is that melodies are grounded in fragmented imagery, where there is no clear start or end.  But then there are those tracks like “Mariana (and Bunny, The Cat)” where the melody is stated crisply and leads the way.  “Next Exit” raises its voice a bit, but for the most part, Suspiro is rainy day music when the sound of music blends in with the sound of raindrops and a hushed city watches it all come down.

There are more than a few moments on this album that I found captivating.

Your album personnel:  Renato Dias (guitar), Filipe Teixeira (double bass) and Filipe Monteiro (drums).

Released on the Porta Jazz label.

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

Music from Porto, Portugal.

Available at:  Bandcamp

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Jan 21 2017

Recommended: Hush Point – “III”

 

A pleasant straight-ahead session from the Hush Point quartet of trumpeter John McNeil, saxophonist Jeremy Udden, bassist Aryeh Kobrinsky and drummer Anthony Pinciotti.  The recording comes off as an intimate affair, and the proof of this is how the quartet’s subdued restraint radiates all kinds of warmth.  Rather than go for the fireworks, the quartet steers the conversation with little personality quirks, and it makes straight-forward dialog something more interesting.  The best example of this on their new release III is the three-part “Suite” and how some cool blues bop and modern post-bop wandering comes off as fashioned from the same lexicon and breathed out in one continuous sentence.  And then there’s a track like “Azmari Bar,” where the Ethiopian music influence and sudden burst of controlled fury is yet able to flow seamlessly into the album’s overall confluence of sound.  That the quartet is able to bring about a sense of cohesion in these circumstances says a lot about the strength of the musicians and the benefits of the long-term collaboration between them.

Your album personnel:  John McNeil (trumpet), Jeremy Udden (alto & c-melody saxophones), Aryeh Kobrinsky (bass) and Anthony Pinciotti (drums).

Released on Sunnyside Records.

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

Music from NYC.

Available at:  Bandcamp | Amazon | eMusic

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