Jazz Recommendations – 2018

Jun 3 2019

A rundown of what Hubro Music has been up to lately (Pt.2)

 

We really need to talk about the Hubro Music label.

 

Jo David Meyer Lysne – Henger i Luften

There is a methodical procession of strange and beautiful sounds on the debut from Jo David Meyer Lysne.  Individually, they are pretty damn compelling.  But it’s over the course of time, as their lingering sonic effect accumulates in both the space of the room and the embrace of the listener’s memory, that they take on a panoramic quality that gives them more depth and expanse than originally unveiled.  It’s the mirror effect of another Hubro guitarist that, too, utilizes a vast array of unconventional instruments in combination with one another, but where Stein Urheim goes wild with rich textures and thick sonic expressionism, Lysne practically curates each individual sound and fine tunes their combinations in the way that provides the cleanest pairings and where nuanced details resonate like mad.  Music from Oslo, Norway.

Your album personnel:  Jo David Meyer Lysne (acoustic guitar, prepared 12-string guitar, synth), Karl Hjalmar Nyberg (sax, synth), Johanne Skaansar (viola), Joel Ring (cello), David Timme Cariano (vibraphone, bass drum) and Martin Lie Svendsen (bass, synth).

Read more on the Hubro Music site.

Artist site | Listen | Buy:  Amazon

 

Hilde Marie Holsen – Lazuli

This is the kind of soundscaping that will erase all of the existing stress from your life, but substitute a little nervous tension of its own just as a reminder of how impermanent and precious the eye of the storm truly is.  The trumpet of Hilde Marie Holsen soars and dips and blasts off with a fluidity that eclipses its suddenness, while the electronic backdrop keeps inching its way forward, as if subsuming everything in sight is the inescapable outcome.  There are moments so delicate, a melodic inspiration threatens to dissipate into a haze, and there are moments on this recording of a striking imagery that never come close to fading away.  Music from Oslo, Norway.

Your album personnel:  Hilde Marie Holsen (trumpet, electronics).

Read more on the Hubro Music site.

Artist site | Listen | Buy:  Amazon

 

Skadedyr – Musikk!

Skadedyr is an orchestral performance given while running through a carnival funhouse.  The distortions and collisions of sound are thrilling to no end, and the unexpected moments of sublime beauty and dreamlike imagery bring an immense wonderment to all of the excitement.  The music possesses an abiding sense of humor, but this is no joke… this ensemble takes their experimentation seriously, and it’s why the onslaught of transitions and turmoil remain gripping throughout, radiating a charisma that elicits admiration as effortlessly as it does a smile.  Their previous release, Culturen, earned the #18 slot on this site’s Best of 2016, and the ensemble continues to show every sign that they are able to achieve, and exceed, that high bar set for themselves.  Music from Oslo, Norway.

Your album personnel:  Hans Hulbækmo (drums, percussion, recorder), Øystein Aarnes Vik (drums, percussion), Heida Mobeck (tuba), Anja Lauvdal (piano, synths), Adrian Løseth Waade (violin), Ina Sagstuen (voice, effects), Ida Løvli Hidle (accordion), Torstein Lavik Larsen (trumpet), Henrik Munkeby Nørstebø (trombone), Fredrik Luhr Dietrichson (double bass, electric), Lars Ove Fossheim (electric guitar, synth guitar) and Marius Klovning (lap steel guitar, dobro).

Read more on the Hubro Music site.

Read more about Skadedyr on Bird is the Worm.

Artist site | Listen | Buy:  Amazon

 

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May 27 2019

A rundown of what Hubro Music has been up to lately (Pt.1)

 

We need to have a talk about the Hubro Music label.

 

Frode Haltli – Avant Folk

I’ll admit it right now:  Initially, I didn’t spend enough time with this recording.  But these last months, I’ve been revisiting a bunch of Hubro Music releases from 2017 & 2018, and this April 2018 release from Frode Haltli is floating my boat even more than it did when first I gave it a listen one year ago.  The accordionist fashions a most intriguing fusion of Nordic folk, modern jazz and chamber music, and the final image ranges anywhere between jaw dropping beauty and object of fascination.  There’s a whimsy to this music that builds humor with a serious intent… a combination that has driven the avant-garde expressionism of musicians like Frank Zappa, Kamikaze Ground Crew and the Flaming Lips.  Avant Folk received some year-end Best Of list consideration at the time, but as I find myself hopelessly addicted to this recording on my second go-around, I realize, had I had more time, Avant Folk would certainly have been given a slot on this site’s Best of 2018 list.  It’s that good.  Music from Svartskog, Norway.

Your album personnel:  Frode Haltli (accordion), Erlend Apneseth (Hardanger fiddles), Hans P. Kjorstad (violin), Rolf-Erik Nystrøm (saxophones), Hildegunn Øiseth (trumpet, goat horn, vocals), Ståle Storløkken (harmonium, synthesizers), Juhani Silvola (guitars, electronics), Oddrun Lilja Jonsdottir (guitar, vocals), Fredrik Luhr Dietrichson (double bass) and Siv Øyunn Kjenstad (drums, vocals).

Read more on the Hubro Music site.

Artist site | Listen | Buy:  Amazon

 

Splashgirl – Sixth Sense

The tag doom jazz gets tossed about when describing Splashgirl, and it’s not without cause.  The trio’s cinematic atmospherics exhibit a dramatic flair that borders on ominous, and its tendency toward ambient drones more often than not ramps up the intensity to higher and higher levels.  Their latest release Sixth Sense embraces these tendencies with even greater zeal, and the result is an immersive experience that almost forbids the act of daydreaming… even as the music displays those qualities that make conditions ripe for drifting away into deep, fanciful thoughts.

Your album personnel:  Andreas Stensland Lowe (keyboards), Jo Berger Myhre (bass, guitar, electronics) and Andreas Lonmo Knudsrod (drums, percussion)

Read more on the Hubro Music site.

Read more about Splashgirl on Bird is the Worm.

Artist site | Listen | Buy:  Amazon

 

Stein Urheim – Utopian Tales

There’s no end to the fascinating patterns that emerge from a Stein Urheim project.  The guitarist unleashes a kaleidoscopic array of sounds and textures and imagery.  Perhaps most impressive is how distinct one project is from the next, so that even though the approach and motives may be the same, the visceral experience of the music is as different one from the next as the sound manifesting from its beating heart.  On Utopian Tales, there’s a space age electronic pulse and haze that drives the affair, light years distant from the rustic folk and psychedelic ambient of previous recordings.  But differences aside, it is no less riveting or lovely than its counterparts.  Music from Bergen, Norway.

Your album personnel:  Stein Urheim (slide guitar, guitar, vocals, tambura, lute, bass, sampler, sound collages, electronics), Kjetil Møster (saxophones, bass clarinet, electronics), Mari Kvien Brunvoll (vocals, sampler, electronics), Per Jørgensen (trumpet, vocals), Ole Morten Vågan (double bass), Jørgen Træen (synths, effects), Kåre Opheim (drums, percussion) and contribution from the Cosmolodic Orchestra.

Read more on the Hubro Music site.

Read more about Stein Urheim on Bird is the Worm.

Artist site | Listen | Buy:  Amazon

 

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May 15 2019

Album of the Day: Karl Bjorå’s Aperture – “The Most Obvious Solution”

 

Artist:  Karl Bjorå’s Aperture

Album:  The Most Obvious Solution

Label:  Øra Fonogram

Style:  Chamber jazz

Favorite Track: “Lightheaded Lizard”

Music from:  Trondheim, Norway

What I like about it:  There’s something quite thrilling about the way each melody takes every sharp angle it encounters, and how these sudden changes of direction emit a sense of careening wildly about… even as the changes are executed with a surgical precision.  And so in this context, I find myself immensely enjoying how fluid and melodious each piece presents itself.  There’s a sense of complex clockwork mechanics at play, and yet these melodies are as ephemeral as the effect of light beams on a sundial.  This album resides in a shared place with New Jazz visions like Todd Sickafoose’s Tiny Resistors and Allison Miller’s Otis Was A Polar Bear, and if recent history is indicative of the future, I will be addicted to Karl Bjorå’s Aperture‘s The Most Obvious Solution for a very long time.

Your album personnel:  Karl Bjorå (guitar), Adrian Løseth Waade (violin, viola), Bárður Reinert Poulsen (double bass), Andreas Winther (drums, electronics) and guest:  Astri Hoffmann-Tollaas (cello).

Available at:  Amazon

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

Be sure to check out the artist’s site.

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May 14 2019

Album of the Day: Echo Chamber – “Antinodal”

 

Artist:  Echo Chamber

Album:  Antinodal

Label:  Aut Records

Style:  Cybernetic jazz

Favorite Track: “Passo Navene”

Music from:  Berlin, Germany

What I like about it:  I like how the electronic elements hang in the air, like a fog slowly encircling the trio, and I like how the sharp definition of organic instruments like drums and saxophone stand out against that hazy backdrop.  I like how the ebb and flow conflict of electronic and organic instruments strings out the melodies and gives them a sense of not entirely being of one mind or inspiration, and I like how this seeming elasticity bleeds into the locomotive qualities of the tempo.  I also really like how the melodies, when they do stamp their imprint upon a piece, have a sing song demeanor, a lightness that contrasts nicely with the prevailing moodiness.

Your album personnel:  Davide Lorenzon (tenor sax), Michele Pedrazzi (synth, electronics) and Chris Hill (drums).

Available at:  Amazon | Bandcamp

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

Be sure to check out the artist’s site.

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May 8 2019

Big reason to be in Lexington: Brian Krock’s liddle at J.Gumbo’s Lex on May 15th

It would be a very good idea to be in Lexington, KY on Wednesday night, May 15th.  Brian Krock’s liddle will be hitting town for a 8pm show in the J.Gumbo’s Lex courtyard, located in the North Limestone corridor.  The latest installment of the J.Gumbo’s Lex music series will see Krock performing music from his sophomore release liddle.

The saxophonist’s debut Big Heart Machine was a car chase movie scene as big band ensemble performance.  By way of introduction, it was a bold statement that caught the attention of critics and fans alike.  Krock’s follow-up brings him back full circle to the core quartet that began it all.  The sophomore release liddle generates the frenetic energy and sudden changes that marked the success of his big band debut.

This iteration of Krock’s liddle ensemble includes guitarist Olli Hirvonen, bassist Marty Kenney, and drummer Steven Crammer.  Lexington, KY has recently been host to a number of all-star outfits from the modern jazz scene.  This is yet one more instance of outstanding music hitting town.

Here’s a track off their new album, liddle…

It’s available for purchase on Bandcamp and Amazon.  I imagine that you will also have the opportunity to purchase music from the merch table on the night of the show.

The show is happening along the NoLi corridor, in the J.Gumbo’s Lex courtyard.  Previously the site of art installations, the expanded courtyard now doubles as a performance area.  It should be a great night to have a drink outside and hear some great music.  Tickets are $10.  If a meal is purchased inside at the restaurant, the ticket price is included with the meal.  In addition, the meal-ticket deal comes with a guarantee for outside seating at the show.  Reservations are highly recommended, as previous shows in the music series have sold out, and the venue is currently reporting that open slots are almost all gone.  But don’t worry, there is additional capacity for show-only attendees.

The show details:

  • Who:  Brian Krock’s liddle
  • Where:  J. Gumbo’s Lex, 808 North Limestone, Lexington, KY 40505
    • Free parking is available right around the corner from the venue at 127 Loudon Avenue, in the parking lot of Grace Baptist Church.
  • When:  May 15th, 2019.
  • Time:  Doors open at 7pm
  • Price:  $10.00, or free with a dinner purchase.

The Brian Krock site:  https://www.briankrock.com/

The J.Gumbo’s Lex site:  https://jgumboslex.com/

If you ‘d like to read more about the band and their music, check out Water Tunis’s interview with Brian Krock for UnderMain.

My write-up of Krock’s liddle has been published The Bandcamp Daily.  It was included in my latest Best Jazz on Bandcamp recommendations column.  In the meantime, here’s a write-up of his big band debut, Big Heart Machine.  You should definitely go scoop that one up.  It’s pretty amazing.

And here’s a couple live performance videos, the first at NYC’s Cornelia Street Cafe…

… And the second at Freddy’s Bar in Brooklyn.

By • Announcement - Music, Jazz in Kentucky, Jazz Recommendations - 2018, Live Jazz • 0 • Tags: , , , , , , ,

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