Jazz Recommendations

Jan 15 2019

Best of 2018 #17: Trio HLK – “Standard Time”

There’s so many ways to utilize the music of the past as the source of inspiration for the music of today. Trio HLK (along with guests Evelyn Glennie and Steve Lehman) present a before-and-after comparative of deconstructed standards, where the original work serves as the seed for a massive transformation into something quite new. The before and after pictures are not always apparent. In fact, a certain level of disconnect should be expected going in. However, that’s the charm of the album, and its intelligence. In that same way a puzzle can be considered a source of entertainment even as it forces a brain to go into overdrive and the nervous system to persevere ’til the solution is found, Standard Time coaxes a deep dive into the memory banks for something familiar as it simultaneously keeps the attention focused on its playful expressionism of the new.

<a href="http://triohlk.bandcamp.com/album/standard-time">Standard Time by Trio HLK</a>

Released on Ubuntu Music.

Music from Edinburgh, Scotland.

Best of 2018 #18: Orquesta del Tiempo Perdido – “Stille”

This bizarre yet immaculately orchestrated session from Jeroen Kimman’s Orquesta del Tiempo Perdido is one of the most intriguing things I’ve heard all year. In the spirit of the diverse expressionism of the Kamikaze Ground Crew but with an emphasis on alien eccentricities rather than terrestrial oddities, Kimman’s ensemble finds a curious convergence between the whimsy of children songs and space-age effects and all of it balanced upon a slender, fluid melody that cuts down the heart of each of these fascinating tunes. Nothing here sounds normal, and, yet, by the time the album reaches its conclusion, there is something comfortingly, strangely familiar about it. Were I to create a Favorites of 2018 list, it’s quite likely that Stille would earn the top spot.

<a href="http://orquestadeltiempoperdido.bandcamp.com/album/stille">Stille by Orquesta del Tiempo Perdido</a>

Released on Clean Feed Records and the Shhpuma label.

Music from Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Best of 2018 #19: Manu Pékar – “Pagan Panic”

The lyricism of this recording borders on the epic, which in itself makes Pagan Panic pretty damn special. But the casual ease in which it’s offered up makes for a contrast in expression that puts this recording on an entirely different plateau. Some albums have an emotional impact of such strength that it elicits the feeling of having undergone a journey, of experienced an arc not unlike a storybook character. The 2018 release from Manu Pékar is one such example, and one of the best to see the light of day in 2018.

<a href="http://dbmpx.bandcamp.com/album/pagan-panic">Pagan Panic by Manu Pékar, Daniel Beaussier, Jean-Lou Descamps, Pierre Marcault,</a>

Released on dbMP(x) Projects.

Music from: Paris, France

Best of 2018 #20: Mephiti – “Mephiti”

When I made this album one of my Best Jazz on Bandcamp recommendations, I stated that the takeaway of this album is that there are countless ways to express a state of serenity. The Mephiti sextet possess a strong melodic perspective, and the substance of their vision is revealed in the nuanced way they allow each to emerge, slowly, patiently, like nurturing a small flame into a roaring fire. Four of the instruments are stringed, with two guitars, bass and a kantele, and the way they delicately weave melodic patterns is not unlike Bill Frisell’s masterful use of loops and effects. Just a gorgeous recording that kept getting better over time.

<a href="http://elnegocito.bandcamp.com/album/mephiti">Mephiti by Mephiti</a>

Released on El Negocito Records.

Music from Antwerp, Belgium.

Best of 2018 #21: Jakob Bro – “Bay of Rainbows”

Jakob Bro‘s melodic perspective is nothing less than stunning, and it’s remarkable how he keeps finding new and inspired ways of presenting it. This live trio session with drummer Joey Baron and bassist Thomas Morgan is just the latest example of Bro’s limitless ability to craft beauty of out thin air. It’s been my personal preference when the guitarist works with a quartet or larger ensemble, but I could listen to this trio session every day for the rest of my life, and the first thing out of my mouth upon arriving in heaven would be, hey, send me back down, I need to go listen to Bay of Rainbows again.

Best of 2018 #17: Trio HLK – “Standard Time”

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Best of 2018 #18: Orquesta del Tiempo Perdido – “Stille”

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Best of 2018 #19: Manu Pékar – “Pagan Panic”

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Best of 2018 #20: Mephiti – “Mephiti”

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Best of 2018 #21: Jakob Bro – “Bay of Rainbows”

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