May 8 2017
Recommended: Tariq Amery Group – “Indefinity”
There’s a nice free-flowing presence to the debut from the Tariq Amery Group. Each track of Indefinity opens up with a clear statement of melody and gets carried along on the currents of a solid groove, but it’s how the solo improvisations transform that structure that signifies the album showing its true personality. “Ahmad’s Clock” breaks things down with some chaotic dissonance, then immediately sets to building it back up with the same tools that gave the song form in the first place. It’s a similar approach on “I Just Want This Moment To Last Forever,” except that it manifests with a kaleidoscopic frenzy of melodic inspirations. And this detour from form and shape, and the eventual satisfying return, is a pattern that’s repeated throughout this fine recording.
Your album personnel: Tariq Amery (flute, tenor sax), Dan Ko (alto sax), Ed Lister (trumpet), Clayton Connell (piano), JP Lapensée (electric bass), Michel Delage (drums), Vovo Saramanda (percussion) and guest: Will O’Neil (guitar).
This album is Self-Produced.
Listen to more of the album at the artist’s Bandcamp page.
Music from the Ottawa, Ontario scene.
Available at: Bandcamp
May 9 2017
Recommended: Fourteto Alihuen – “Motivos”
There’s an appealing, almost haphazard delivery to the music of Motivos, and it’s the reason the music of Fourteto Alihuen can be dramatic and ferocious and unrestrained, and yet still be easy to embrace. The unpredictable bursts of intensity on “La Luna y el Sol” snap right into place with its offhand murmurs of melody. “Bizcochitos” achieves a tone bordering on solemnity, but it’s casual development is more comparable to boozy conversations between old friends. And while the melody of “Giroscopio” flares strong and bright at the edges and its tempo is a tumble down a slick flight of stairs, the volatility comes off as whimsical chatter than it does a cry for help. It’s this tempering of its wilder elements that transforms the music into something far more cheerful, and the music is an experience to enjoy rather than a challenge to overcome. It’s a balancing act not easily attained, but the quartet does an admirable job threading it through this fine recording.
Your album personnel: Santiago Beis (piano, sax), Juan Ibarra (drums), Antonino Restuccia (double bass) and Ian Alihuen Elizondo (guitar).
The album is Self-Produced.
Listen to more of the album on the artist’s Bandcamp page.
Music from Montevideo, Uruguay.
Available at: Bandcamp
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By davesumner • Jazz Recommendations, Jazz Recommendations - 2017 releases • 0