Nov 12 2015
Recommended: Gilad Hekselman – “Homes”
Comparing each individual album track on Homes, the newest from guitarist Gilad Hekselman, you wouldn’t think these tunes would have any reason to hang out together in the same room. The electric fusion sheen of “Cosmic Patience” is unlikely to find a common topic of interest with the acoustic guitar folk-jazz of “Home E-Minor.” A wind sprint rendition of Bud Powell’s “Parisian Thoroughfare” would nervously tap its foot in silence while struggling to find a conversation starter to get things going with “Eyes to See,” with its inner-rock-anthem just waiting to come bursting out and drown out everything in the room.
A cheerful rendition of Pat Metheny’s “Last Train Home,” with its melody wrapped in a bluesy groove could probably swap stories with the gorgeous melody of the Hekselman original “Verona,” but, together, would stand silently as they watch the chipper “KeeDee” bop excitedly around the room, paying no mind to anyone in its path. And then there’s the handful of brief pieces and interludes that behave as if they mistakenly received an invitation at the last minute and decided to show up anyway.
But Hekselman overcomes any problems this variation in sound and expression might present by crafting statuesque melodies, reflecting a thoughtfulness in planning and a meticulous construction, allowing them to stand out with sharp clarity. And that he couches this characteristic by wrapping those melodies up with ethereal harmonies and rhythmic imagery akin to a map of stars, it’s why the songs, individually, can enter the room from any number of different doors yet come together like one big happy family.
There’s a pleasantly unassuming disposition to this album. No one track gets right up in your face, keeping more to a rainy day ambiance that lets the music drift on in and settle in slowly. This passivity, though, shouldn’t be mistaken for insubstantiality, because though the music’s strength is subtly exercised, it carries far and wide, and it doesn’t erode with the time of repeat listenings. Homes will make a nice addition to your library, and pretty much is a must-buy for you jazz guitar fans.
Your album personnel: Gilad Hekselman (guitars), Joe Martin (bass), Marcus Gilmore (drums) and guest: Jeff Ballard (drums).
Released on Jazz Village.
Jazz from the Brooklyn scene.
Available at: eMusic | Amazon | Artist site (which has all kinds of swag combos)
Nov 13 2015
Recommended: Lisbeth Quartett – “Lisbeth Live”
Sometimes you just need to hear a band perform live to get a better sense of what they’re all about. Lisbeth Quartett has put out a couple of nice studio albums, which I’ve mentioned previously either on this site and/or my eMusic Wondering Sound columns… but nothing about those albums really blew me away. They were both interesting enough to garner a mention, and one of the quartet’s members is saxophonist Charlotte Greve, who is one of those musicians who keeps popping up on interesting projects, so there was that, too. But there was something about those studio recordings that left me feeling like maybe the band was holding something back, or conversely, what was intended never actually materialized in its fullest form.
Culled from a handful of different concerts, Lisbeth Live doesn’t hold back and there’s no shortage of creative inspirations seeing the light of day. Consisting of seven tracks, most over ten minutes in length each, the quartet tucks a melodic inspiration under their arm and just go wandering. Often, they end up in some seriously beautiful places. Sometimes paths taken don’t lead to anywhere in particular, and that’s okay, since the journey can be just as fruitful as the landing spot. But this album’s biggest attraction is the opportunity to hear the musicians flesh out their ideas, with the question of what-comes-next just as compelling as any one expression at a particular moment in time. This is not a perfect album by any means, but this is the kind of recording that shouldn’t get measured by its individual parts… it needs to be taken in as a whole. It’s the kind of recording that slowly accumulates a strong appreciation, where you’re less likely to hang onto the edge of each and every moment and more likely to suddenly snap to and think, hey, I’ve really been enjoying this album.
Favorite track: “Secret Ingredient” – Its mix of thick contemplation and a strong beating heart pumping blood like mad is just outstanding.
Bonus upside to this live album: It provides an additional context for their studio albums and a motivation to revisit each of them.
Definitely check this one out.
Your album personnel: Charlotte Greve (sax), Manuel Schmiedel (piano), Marc Muellbauer (bass) and Moritz Baumgärtner (drums).
Released on Traumton Records.
Jazz from the Brooklyn scene.
Available at: eMusic | Amazon
Like this:
By davesumner • Jazz Recommendations, Jazz Recommendations - 2015 Releases • 2 • Tags: Charlotte Greve, Lisbeth Quartett, Traumton Records