These are videos that I like

Today’s videos feature ensembles that were among my monthly selections for Best of Bandcamp Jazz.  2017 saw a minimum of 120 recommendations, so it’s understandable that some might have fallen off the radar over the course of the year.  Here’s a chance to reverse that trend and remind everyone how much great music came out this year.

First up is a video from Yazz Ahmed, featuring a version of the song “The Lost Pearl.”  It’s the kind of sound you can expect to hear on the trumpeter’s excellent 2017 release La Saboteuse (read about it at The Bandcamp Daily).  In addition to the cool music, the video features the amazing album artwork of Sophie Bass.

If you want to skip the write-up, you can go listen to the album (and purchase it) at the artist’s Bandcamp page.  It’s also available at Amazon.

Next up is a live performance by Jeremy Danneman and featuring Sophie Nzayisenga Inganji.  Their 2017 release Honey Wine is one of the coolest, most joyful recordings I’ve heard this year (read about it at The Bandcamp Daily).  This May 2015 performance at NYC’s WhyNot Jazz Room spreads some of that good cheer right on around.

If you want to skip the write-up, you can go listen to the album (and purchase it) at the artist’s Bandcamp page.  It’s also available at Amazon.

Next up is a video from Sam Bardfeld.  The violinist’s new release The Great Enthusiasms was an easy selection for a Best of Bandcamp Jazz column (go read about it).  This May 2015 performance at IBeam Brooklyn gives a good sense of why.

If you want to skip the write-up, you can go listen to the album (and purchase it) at the artist’s Bandcamp page.  It’s also available at Amazon.

And let’s wrap up with Jaimie Branch, and this May 2017 performance at Toronto’s Jam Factory.  It includes the songs “Theme 001” and “Theme 002” from her excellent 2017 release Fly or Die (read about it at The Bandcamp Daily).  Yeah, I know the video is pretty dark, but I’m really liking when the stage lights suddenly illuminate some of the musicians.  Plus, these are two of my favorite songs from the album, so there you go.

If you want to skip the write-up, you can go listen to the album (and purchase it) at the artist’s Bandcamp page.  It’s also available at Amazon.

Today’s videos feature ensembles that were among my monthly selections for Best of Bandcamp Jazz.  2017 saw a minimum of 120 recommendations, so it’s understandable that some might have fallen off the radar over the course of the year.  Here’s a chance to reverse that trend and remind everyone how much great music came out this year.

Let’s begin with a performance from Brooklyn Raga Massive and their rendition of John Coltrane’s “Alabama.”  This 2015 show happened at Pioneer Works Center for Art and Innovation in Red Hook.  It’s also a work featured on their outstanding 2017 release Coltrane Raga Tribute (read about it at The Bandcamp Daily), which explores the connections between Indian music and the works of John and Alice Coltrane.

If you want to skip the write-up, you can go listen to the album (and purchase it) at the artist’s Bandcamp page.  It’s also available at Amazon.

Next up is a live performance video from Kati Briens Dream Band.  It’s an older video from a 2012 show at Weinstadt, Germany’s Jazzclub Armer Konrad.  But it features the song “Beam,” which is the opening track on Brien’s excellent 2017 release Happy Music (read about it at The Bandcamp Daily). 

If you want to skip the write-up, you can go listen to the album (and purchase it) at the artist’s Bandcamp page.  It’s also available at Amazon.

Next up is a video of Amir ElSaffar performing at Manhattan’s Steve Maxwell drum store, as part of the NPR Field Recordings series.  This is an older video and a different ensemble than what appears on his excellent 2017 release Not Two, (read about it at The Bandcamp Daily), but it definitely provides a sense of how ElSaffar brings about a convergence of NYC Jazz and Middle-Eastern musics.

If you want to skip the write-up, you can go listen to the album (and purchase it) at the artist’s Bandcamp page.  It’s also available at Amazon.

And let’s end today’s column with a live performance from the ensemble Web Web.  This August 2017 show went down at Munich’s Jazzclub Unterfahrt. and features music from their excellent 2017 release Oracle (read about it at The Bandcamp Daily).

If you want to skip the write-up, you can go listen to the album (and purchase it) at the artist’s Bandcamp page.  It’s also available at Amazon.

The steady deluge of new releases makes it so easy to forget the wonderful music so recently in our rear view mirrors.  Let’s revisit some recent recommendations.

First up is a video from La Pingos Orquesta.  The song is “La Huída” and it’s from the ensemble’s new release Peregrino (read about it).

(Video credit: Arturo Sepulveda)

You can give the album a listen, and purchase it, on the artist’s Bandcamp page.

Next up is a video from Matthew Bourne.  “Isotach” is the title-track from his gorgeous new solo session (read about it).

(Video credit:  Ray Kane)

You can give the album a listen, and purchase it, on the artist’s Bandcamp page.

And our final video for the day comes courtesy of the trio Kokotob.  This January 2017 performance at Germany’s Kulturform Fürth features the song “Origami,” which is included on their 2017 release Flying Heart (read about it).

(Video credit:  Michael Fingerhut)

You can give most of the album a listen on the artist’s Soundcloud page.

Let’s revisit some recent daily recommendations.  I don’t think you got enough the first time around.

First up is a live performance by the Emilio Reyna Septet from a 2016 show at Resonance.  The song they perform is a work from their lovely new release La Lenta Marcha de las Estrellas, which is a recent daily rec (go read it).

And if you want to go check that album out right away, you can give it a listen and purchase it on their Bandcamp page.

Next up is a cool day-in-the-life of the musicians of The Slow Beasts.  Their new release The Slow Sessions was a recent daily recommendation (go read it).

And if you want to skip the write-up and just go check the album out, you can give it a listen and purchase it on their Bandcamp page.

And let’s wrap up with an in-studio performance from Wako & Oslo Strings.  The piece “Song For All The Annettes” is from their excellent new release Modes For All Eternity (read about it).