Dec 23 2017
Best of 2017 #30: Nate Smith – “Kinfolk: Postcards from Everywhere” (Ropeadope)
There’s some seriously vivid imagery on Kinfolk: Postcards from Everywhere, and the way it’s presented as snapshots of a story instead of a running narrative makes the music resonate that much stronger. Nate Smith is, in fact, telling a story on his 2017 release, and his fortuitous decision to focus it through the lenses of his bandmates (and various guests) gives that story a detached, ethereal presence, as if recollections told through shared dreams. And so the modern jazz and soul and contemporary groove and folk and old-school ballads and string sections all sort of coalesce into a blurry haze at the same time the immediate moment is snapping into focus. The phase in and out of contradictions and states of unison drives this music, even when it’s laid back and easy-going. That’s no small thing. Also not to be undervalued is the supreme enjoyment gained from simply sitting back and hearing that story pour on out.
Music from NYC.
Read more at Bird is the Worm.
It’s been a fruitful collaboration between Tony Allen and Blue Note Records. The drummer’s first release for the label was 
The magic is in the melody on this excellent set from the MAP quartet of pianist Paulo Gomes, guitarist Miguel Moreira, bassist Miguel Ângelo and drummer Acácio Salero. The craftsmanship of those melodies is exquisite, but what really elevates their 2017 release Guerra e Paz up a notch or three is how those melodies become launching points to all kinds of improvisation. Some of those journeys are filled with wild abandon, while others follow a more familiar route of trading solos. Either way, this is an excellent example of modern jazz done right. Also, on a personal note, the song “Norte” is one of my top ten favorite songs of 2017. I can easily envision the Brian Blade Fellowship performing a rendition of it.
It’s been rewarding and more than a bit fascinating to witness the transformation of the music of Rudresh Mahanthappa. Indian music and NYC jazz isn’t a typical match of influences, and yet with his 2017 release Agrima, it’s as if the saxophonist has achieved a certain normalcy of presentation, to the point where an unconventional sound is as embraceable as taking your next breath. The core of Agrima is Indian music, sometimes as a melodic influence and other times imposing its will upon a piece rhythmically. But the house of the album is built with the raw materials of an indie-rock edge and contemporary grooves and electronic effects, and it’s why Agrima sits plumb with previous Mahanthappa recordings while also representing something new.
Dec 23 2017
Best of 2017 #29: Trio Blastonal – “It Is What It Is!” (Self-Produced)
Music from Korb, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.
Read more at Bird is the Worm.
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By davesumner • Recap: Best of 2017 • 0 • Tags: Jazz - Best of 2017, Korb Baden-Württemberg (Germany), Self-Produced, Trio Blastonal