Jazz Recommendations

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 11 2019

Now up: April’s Best Jazz on Bandcamp recommendations

 

And here we go. Brace yourselves, music listeners, because my latest Best Jazz on Bandcamp recommendations just posted on The Bandcamp Daily.  The newest monthly installment covers albums for April 2019.  There’s ten recommendations in total, plus some bonus recommendations, to boot.  There’s been no let-up on the deluge of new music in 2019, so if you were thinking about maybe settling into a prior month’s purchases, forget about it… you’ve got more excellent new music to discover.  On that note, let’s begin.

Follow this LINK to read those recommendations and listen to music from each album.

And check out past recommendations by running through the archives.

Have fun going through the list!

Cheers.

By • Announcement - Music, Jazz Recommendations - 2019 • 0 • Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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: , , , , , , ,

Apr 23 2019

The Round-up: This is where we’re at

 

Here is some very good new music

 

Anat Fort Trio – Colour (Sunnyside Records)

There’s a comforting fireplace presence to the latest from Anat Fort, and in the way she brings a melody to light, there’s also a hypnotic effect not unlike the flickering motion of flames dancing off the surface of wood.  Influences of modern jazz, blues, gospel and folk shift back and forth, exerting their influence just enough to be felt, while maintaining an equilibrium between the different forms of expression that color the album’s pieces.  This is music that will fit any time or place.  Long-time collaborators bassist Gary Wang and drummer Roland Schneider contribute to this session, and thus continue a long and fruitful partnership with Fort.  Music from Tel Aviv, Israel.

Artist site | Buy:  Bandcamp – Amazon

 

Fergus McCreadie Trio – Turas (Self-Produced)

A really strong debut from Fergus McCreadie.  The pianist lets the melody speak with a bold voice, and then lets it linger long after his trio has begun seeing where it will take them.  That kind of resonance especially pays off when they circle back to the opening statement, and so there’s a satisfying sense of returning home.  Along with bassist David Bowden and drummer Stephen Henderson, McCreadie’s trio sticks primarily to a modern straight-ahead sound for piano trio, a style particularly represented by Brad Mehldau.  And that works to this music’s favor, where harmonic potential is the doorway to melodic exploration.  This is actually the second time recently that McCreadie has made an appearance in a Round-up column.  Music from Glasgow, Scotland.

Artist site | Listen | Buy:  Bandcamp – Amazon

 

Elisha, Carter, Harlos & Elisha – Before or After (EYEtone Records)

What carries this album along is the way in which a focused intensity is maintained even during the performance’s sparsest moments.  Pianist Haim Elisha, wind instrumentalist Daniel Carter, bassist Jeremy Harlos and drummer-percussionist Ehran Elisha exhibit a chamber sensibility in the course of free improvisation roaming tendencies, and it creates fertile soil in which to nurture the natural tension created by shaking free of a self-imposed structure.  Music from NYC.

No artist site | Listen | Buy:  Bandcamp

 

Max Johnk Quartet – allweather (Self-Produced)

There’s all kinds of straight-ahead goodness on the sophomore release from Max Johnk.  The bassist and his quartet with tenor saxophonist Chris Schuster, trombonist Steve Wallevand and drummer Joel Beseler-Thompson find the right balance between melodic warmth and rhythmic heat, and gets it to where one feeds off the other in an unending cycle of lively energy.  Those interactions between the musicians when they’re all moving in different directions while keeping a tight center of focus to make the motion seem completely in sync is when the quartet shines strongest.  Music from Fargo, North Dakota.

Artist site | Listen | Buy:  Bandcamp

 

Kliment Angelovski Trio – Inquistion (PMG Recordings)

Well, this is a fun and intriguing session.  Guitarist Kliment Angelovski, accordionist Gjorgji Serafimovski and percussionist Mihail Parushev have created an album that has a presence as thick as a fog, and just as ethereal.  There’s a looseness to the delivery that is plenty appealing, and just the nature of its unconventional sound makes it tough to stop listening.  It appears this session was recorded back in ’96 and just now seeing the light of day.  Not sure exactly, but I definitely wanted to get a quick mention in.  Music from Macedonia.

Artist site | Listen | Buy:  Bandcamp

 

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