May 5 2017

These are videos that I like: Fanny Gunnarsson Quartet on the Malmo scene

 

Today’s videos feature the music of the Fanny Gunnarsson Quartet.  Their new album Mirrors was yesterday’s daily recommendation (go read it).

First up is an in-studio performance of the album’s opening track “Theme.”

Your video personnel:  Fanny Gunnarsson (piano), Karolina Almgren (soprano sax), Kristian Rimshult (double bass) and Hannes Olbers (drums).

And here’s a live performance of the Björk tune “Aeroplane” from a February 2017 show at Victoriateatern Malmö.

And we’ll wrap up with a performance of the song “To Know You” on the show Tiny Malme Sessions.  As best as I can tell, the show is the video of Mikel Morueta Holme and audio Jonas Jönsson collaborating to get the spotlight on artists on the Malmö, Sweden scene.  Pretty cool.

*****

By • These are videos that I like • 0

May 4 2017

Recommended: Fanny Gunnarsson Quartet – “Mirrors”

 

There’s a smouldering intensity present in every note of the sophomore release from the Fanny Gunnarsson Quartet.  This stunning quality becomes immediately apparent on opening track “Theme,” and how it develops from a crystalized moment of melodic beauty into an expanding wave of evocative lyricism.  And it closes with the same approach on “Shine,” but goes about it with a lighter touch, letting restraint take a firm grasp of things before unleashing the song for the grand finale.  In between, Mirrors offers up a mix of vocal and instrumental pieces that adopt a nuanced approach to the changing tides of tones and imagery.  The sing-song “To Know You” is carried along upon a melody with no little edge, while “Song for Kerstin” and “By Heart” live in the melancholy place where hopefulness and heartbreak blur together into one.

Gunnarsson makes her mark on both piano and with her voice, and it’s to the great service of this recording that the shifts between instrumental and vocal sections are fluid and effortless.  Drummer Hannes Olbers makes profound statements with the gentlest crash of cymbals, though his method of generating a susurrant chatter no less comforting on drums is arguably the more impressive feat.  There’s a sharp presence to the solos from Karolina Almgren, and her soprano sax brings a bright clarity to the shape of each melody… a quality made more spectacular in how bassist Kristian Rimshult, acting as its dark shadow, generates all kinds of lovely contrast in tones.  The music comes off as heartfelt and genuine, and that’s a big reason it’s so easy to connect with it on the first pass.

One of the better albums to grace us, thus far, in 2017.

Your album personnel:  Fanny Gunnarsson (piano, vocals), Karolina Almgren (soprano sax), Kristian Rimshult (double bass) and Hannes Olbers (drums).

Released on Havtorn Records.

Listen to more of the album at the artist’s Soundcloud page.

Music from Malmö, Sweden.

Available at:  Amazon | eMusic

By • Jazz Recommendations, Jazz Recommendations - 2017 releases • 0

May 2 2017

On the Air: Today, 6-8pm (EST) on WXOX ARTxFM Mingle

 

So, it’s happening again.  Tonight, Tuesday, May 2nd of 2017, I’m returning as a guest on the Louisville-based ARTxFM show Mingle, hosted by Kevin Coultas.

The show runs from 6-8pm (EST) on WXOX 97.1 FM.

If your location happens to fall outside the station antenna’s range, then you can listen in via the internet.  Visit this station site page (LINK) to either listen via their embedded audio player or download one of their recommended apps.

And, remember, if you’re playing the custom ARTxFM Mingle drinking game… each time I mispronounce a musician’s name, you take a shot.  Double it if I also misidentify an album title, song title, or geographical location.  If I forget either Kevin’s or my own name, then it’s three shots.  Might be a good idea to be proactive and call in sick to work for Wednesday right now.

And speaking of artists… here’s a tentative the actual playlist of songs being featured:

1.  “Osmotin'” by Charles Mingus (the musician whom Kevin always begins his show with)

2.  Anne Quillier 6tet – “Le Retour Des Superheros”  (more)

3.  Kati Brien’s Dream Band – “Beam”  (more)

4.  Jeremy Danneman – “Honey Wine”  (more)

5.  Brot & Sterne – “In a Silent Way”  (more)

6.  Paulo Gomes – “Norte”  (more)

7.  Bill Carrothers – “Unseen Rain”  (write-up coming soon)

8.  Max Andrzejewski’s HÜTTE – “Hunter Gatherer”  (more)

9.  Collocutor – “Arrival”  (more)

10.  Hermine Deurloo – “A Long Story Short”  (more)

11.  Yazz Ahmed – “Jamil Jamal”  (more)

12.  Gil Evans Paris Workshop – “Lilia”  (more)

13.  Matt Otto – “Viewed In”  (more)

14.  John De Lucia – “Sinus Suite A: Chickering”  (write-up coming soon)

15.  Fanny Gunnarsson – “Theme” (more)

16.  Rebecca Martin & Guillermo Klein – “Just as in Spring”  (write-up coming soon)

To learn more about any of the music on this list, just follow the More link.  It’ll lead you to some music to listen to and a synopsis and a link to where you can discover even more about the music.  In some instances, I wrote about the album in my monthly Best of Bandcamp Jazz recommenations column for The Bandcamp Daily.  The “more” link will take you to the portal to read them.

And hopefully that’s enough music to fill up the two-hour show duration.  Otherwise, I’m gonna have to start singing David Bowie tunes to a live studio audience (aka Kevin Coultas, poor poor Kevin Coultas)

And here’s a link to the audio archive of the show, where you can listen to this show afterwards, as well as previous guest appearances or, mercifully, those shows where Kevin takes the reins solo.

UPDATE

Here’s an audio embed of my radio appearance in case you weren’t able to tune in live or, perhaps, because you’re a sick puppy and have fallen in love with my voice and need to hear it again at all costs.  Note:  We did not run out of music to play, so if you were hoping to hear me sing David Bowie tunes, you’re going to be massively disappointed.  Perhaps next time.

The playlist is posted above.

Enjoy!  And seriously, thanks for listening. I really hope you find some cool new music.

Cheers.

*****

By • Announcement - Site & General, On the Radio • 0 • Tags:

Apr 29 2017

Preview “One Minute Later,” the upcoming release from Diego Barber

 

Bird is the Worm favorite, guitarist Diego Barber has a new album coming out.  One Minute Later is getting released May 19, 2017 on Sunnyside Records.

Here’s a preview of what’s to come…

Your album personnel:  Diego Barber (classical guitar), Alejandro Coello (marimba, vibraphone, tympani, gongs, crotales, tam-tam, kalimba), Ben Williams (bass) and Eric Harland (drums).

 

You can learn more about the album and pre-order it on the label’s Bandcamp page.

Also available on Amazon.

And if you want to check out more of Barber’s music, here’s a column I wrote that covered the expanse of it (go read it).

UPDATE:  I’ve written about this album for The Bandcamp Daily (go read about it).

By • Album Preview • 0 • Tags: ,

Apr 29 2017

These are videos that I like: April’s Best of Bandcamp Jazz

 

Today’s videos feature music recommended in my most recent Best of Bandcamp Jazz column (go read it) on The Bandcamp Daily.

First up is a live performance by clarinetist Anat Cohen and guitarist Marcello Gonçalves at the 54th Villa Lobos Festival.  They’re performing the song “Coisa Nº 10″ from their new album Outra Coisa.  It’s one of two new albums Cohen has out this month, both released on Anzic Records.

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

Next up is a live in-studio performance of “Supernova” by Bryan & The Aardvarks.  If you’re looking for music that draws every bit of life from a melody, the last two albums released by bassist Bryan Copeland’s Aardvarks ensemble is the thing for you.  Start with his newest, Sounds From The Deep Field, released on the new and very promising Biophilia Records.

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

And let’s wrap up with a video for the song “Starving, Anorexic” by Max Andrzejewski´s HÜTTE and The Homegrown Organic Gospel Choir.  The drummer has been working with a choir for his last two recordings, and his thematic vision of food on his newest shows that he’s getting even better at mixing his quartet’s quirky style with the choir element.  It’s released on WhyPlayJazz.

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

By • These are videos that I like • 0

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