Jan 20 2020

Best of 2019 #61: Matt Mitchell – “Phalanx Ambassadors”

 

A strong gust of wind blows through and sweeps up everything in its path.  It whips about in all directions, seeming without purpose or causation, and a random assortment of objects caught in its grasp.  But eventually the motion transmits information, revealing something similar to coordination, a choreography of chaos.  And, suddenly, the random objects are viewed with the perspective of a singular entity, moving with a purposeful motion, and toward some unseen end.  The Matt Mitchell 2019 release Phalanx Ambassadors is the embodiment of this phenomenon.  The change in perspective occurs slowly, but powerfully, as many moving parts gradually coalesce into a unified entity.  And, with repeat listening, it becomes increasingly apparent that the unison was there from the very first note.  This music has jagged edges and whiplash movements and isn’t shy about annihilating a melody if that’s what the moment calls for.  But, ultimately, the signifying characteristic of this compelling album isn’t fury or destruction or entropy, but grace.  The motion of this music is that of walking through life, and all of the chaos that experience brings.

Your album personnel:  Matt Mitchell (piano, Mellotron, Prophet-6), Miles Okazaki (electric & acoustic guitars), Patricia Brennan (vibraphone, marimba), Kim Cass (double bass, electric bass) and Kate Gentile (drums, percussion).

Released on Pi Recordings.

Music from New York City.

Cool album art by Kate Gentile.

Listen | Read more | Available at:  Amazon – Bandcamp

By • Recap: Best of 2019 • 0 • Tags: , , ,

Jan 20 2020

Best of 2019 #62: Led Bib – “It’s Morning”

 

There’s always been something seriously appealing about the raucous electronics jazz of Led Bib.  Some of it has to do with how their exuberance transmits an abounding sense of fun, a quality that increases the more over-the-top their music becomes.  There’s also the aspect of their music that extracts a cerebral reaction, in how the chaos of a particular piece exhibits a sturdy melodicism, not unlike an unsinkable ship in the middle of a malleable hurricane.  But it’s the addition of vocalist Sharron Fortnam to this session that elevates their latest recording up to a whole new plateau.  It was never apparent that a vocalist would ever mesh with this outfit, and yet the way it all shakes out, a vocalist in the fold was the most natural, logical decision ever.  That the music goes through this transformative effect while retaining all of the things that make the music so enjoyable to begin with was no easy task, and its achievement is a trait that makes It’s Morning one of the best recordings of 2019.

Your album personnel:  Sharron Fortnam (vocals), Chris Williams (alto sax), Pete Grogan (alto and tenor saxophones), Elliot Galvin (keyboards, piano), Liran Donin (bass, backing vocals), Mark Holub (drums), and guests:  Jack Hues (vocals), Susanna Gartmayer (bass clarinet), Irene Kepl (violin) and Noid (cello).

Released on RareNoise Records.

Music from London, UK.

I wrote about this album for The Bandcamp Daily.

Listen | Read more | Available at: Bandcamp – Amazon

By • Recap: Best of 2019 • 0 • Tags: , , ,

Jan 19 2020

Best of 2019 #63: Sly Horizon – “The Anatomy of Light”

 

There’s an unsettling moment at the peak of a morning sunrise, when the sun has cleared the horizon, and the shades of pinks, oranges, and deep blues show signs of daytime, and the city, which had been hushed to that point, begins to hum with wakefulness and activity.  It’s a moment that produces cracks in the serenity with the knowledge that peacefulness is coming to an end, and the clash and motion and disruption of daily life is the next thing to crest the horizon.  That is the embodiment of The Anatomy of Light.  The Sly Horizon trio of trombonist Rick Parker, seven-string guitarist Álvaro Domene, and drummer-percussionist Jeremy Carlstedt capture that corrosive effect upon tranquility, and channel it in a way that pretty damn well approximates the ebb and flow of the light’s evolution through a day in the life of anyone who’s living it.

Your album personnel:  Rick Parker (trombone, electronics, and synths), Álvaro Domene (7 string guitar and electronics) and Jeremy Carlstedt (drums and electronics).

Released on Iluso Records.

Music from New York City.

Listen | Read more | Available at:  Bandcamp

By • Recap: Best of 2019 • 0 • Tags: , , , , , ,

Jan 19 2020

Best of 2019 #64: Malboro Bled – “Malboro Bled”

 

Damn but I like how this trio flexes a melody.  It’s all about the shows of strength on the eponymous debut from the Malboro Bled, but the charm of the album is in how that strength translates to its momentum.  The motion, judged on its own merits, is pretty addictive, but how it shapes a melody’s development or the way in which it builds to a peak of harmonic bliss or digs into a thick groove is where the power’s true source of goodness shines through.  It’s also why the moments of peacefulness resonate so much more strongly.  Cellist Bruno Ducret, drummer Maxime Rouayroux, and bass saxophonist Fred Gastard have put together an album that is exciting as hell, and it’s often not until the ride is over that it sinks in just how much fun it is, too.

Your album personnel:  Bruno Ducret (cello), Maxime Rouayroux (drums), and Fred Gastard (bass saxophone).

The album is Self-Produced.

Music from Bled, Slovenia.

I wrote about this album for The Bandcamp Daily.

Listen | Read more | Available at:  Bandcamp

By • Recap: Best of 2019 • 0 • Tags: , , , ,

Jan 19 2020

Best of 2019 #65: Iago Aguado – “Festina Lente”

 

This is rainy day music that retained some of the sunlight that preceded it.  This is rainy day music that respects how the streaks of lightning and grumbles of thunder are equal contributors to the serene ambiance of the gentle patter of rain hitting the window sill.  Iago Aguado achieves all of these perspectives by matching languorous cadences with melodies that bend like light, melt like wax.  There’s liveliness to balance out the introspective tones, and a tuneful catchiness to keep the contemplation reined in.  David Soler’s pedal steel adds tons of character, and Joana Gomila’s vocal contributions frame the instrumental pieces, as if two sides of the same picture.  This is music for lazy days, and for busy days to make them seem a little calmer than they are.

Your album personnel:  Iago Aguado (guitar), David Soler (pedal steel), Joana Gomila (vocals), Miguel Villar (tenor sax), David Mengual (double bass), and Oriol Roca (drums).

Released on Underpool Music.

Music from Barcelona, Spain.

I wrote about this album for The Bandcamp Daily.

Listen | Read more | Available at:  Bandcamp

By • Recap: Best of 2019 • 0 • Tags: , , , , ,

« Older Entries Newer Entries »