Jul 11 2018

Here’s two from Kjetil Mulelid that need to be on your radar

 

So, lately, I’ve been addicted to the music of Kjetil André Mulelid.  Previously, I’ve written about the project Wako & Oslo Strings (Modes for All Eternity) collaboration.  Here are two other albums the pianist has lent his magic to.

 

Kjetil Mulelid Trio – Not Nearly Enough To Buy A House

This is a piano trio recording to get lost in.  The melodies are open doors that draw you in, and once inside, you discover that it’s more wide open than anything you could imagine.  The trio of pianist Kjetil André Mulelid, double bassist Bjørn Marius Hegge and drummer Andreas Winther explore every facet of those crisp melodic statements, and the sensation is one of roaming far and wide, and experiencing the passing of time only when the trio suddenly returns to the opening melody.  Was the piece three minutes long?  Fifteen minutes?  More?  The track specifics will never sync up to the lingering impression.

The Kjetil Mulelid Trio works with mediums that are equally divided in influence between the Nordic Jazz of a Ketil Bjørnstad as it is the NYC approach of a Brad Mehldau.  There’s a harmonic atmosphere generated that brings cohesion to the melodies and context to the rhythms.  And it’s why music keeping to a peaceful demeanor resonates with a strength to shift the tides.  Even those rare times when the trio kicks up a little dust with a brisk tempo, as they do on “Leaving Home,” that sense of peacefulness retains its impact.

Just a gorgeous album that I’ve been quite addicted to for a little while now.  Highly recommended for those weekends when the sky is full of rain and lazing the day away as it comes down is exactly how you want to spend your time.

Your album personnel:  Kjetil André Mulelid (piano), Bjørn Marius Hegge (double bass) and Andreas Winther (drums).

Released on Rune Grammofon.

Available at:  Bandcamp | Amazon | eMusic

 

Kjemilie – Bakkekontakt

Bakkekontakt are variations on a love song.  There’s as often a bit of wistfulness as there is a pang of hope, and the weight of heavy emotions doesn’t settle in long before a lightheartedness breaks through.  With the Kjemilie trio of vocalist Emilie Storaas and violinist Håkon Aase , Mulelid approaches the music with a different melodic perspective.  Whereas on Not Nearly Enough To Buy A House, it was deep dives into the melody, but with Bakkekontakt, it’s brief glimpses of a wide array of melodic stills.  And when viewed in the context of the ephemeral nature of love, these fleeting images present them in their truest form.

A solid first impression has grown into a minor addiction, and I find myself listening to this album quite often.  You should, too.

Your album personnel:  Kjetil André Mulelid (piano), Emilie Storaas (vocals) and Håkon Aase (violin).

Released on Ora Fonogram.

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

Available at:  Amazon | eMusic

By • Jazz Recommendations, Jazz Recommendations - 2018 • 0 • Tags: , ,

Jul 10 2018

Upcoming: Tin/Bag live in Louisville at Jimmy Can’t Dance

 

This Thursday, June 12th, 2018, the duo of trumpeter Kris Tiner and guitarist Mike Baggetta aka Tin/Bag will be performing at Jimmy Can’t Dance in downtown Louisville.  On their individual projects, each musician’s wingspan covers a wide range of expressionism.  Together, that experience directly informs their compelling, ephemeral style, and it’s why they’re just as likely to perform a rendition of Bob Dylan or Hank Williams as they are something by Thelonious Monk.

Their previous recording, The Stars Would Be Different, might give some indication of what Thursday’s show will be like.  Here’s a track…

And you can read more about it on this site.

It’s not every day these all-stars make their way through Kentucky, so take advantage of the opportunity.  Plus, after Tin/Bag wrap up, Louisville’s own, the Kendall Carter Trio, gets up on stage, so there’ll be all kinds of music that night.

The duo is currently striking a path through the mid-South as they wind their way up north, so check below (or their site) for other tour stops.

The show details:

When:  Thursday, July 12th, 2018 at 8:00pm

Where:  Jimmy Can’t Dance, 119 S 7th St, Louisville, KY.

It’s a free show, which means more cash to buy CDs and whiskey.

The artist’s site-> LINK

Check out their music on two different Bandcamp pages:  Epigraph’s and the artist’s.

By • Announcement - Music, Jazz in Kentucky, Live Jazz • 0 • Tags:

Jul 9 2018

The Round-up: And there was no fooling myself about where exactly I stood

 

Here is some very good new music.

 

Jeremy Pelt – Noir en Rouge: Live in Paris (HighNote Records)

You can’t go wrong with this live set from Jeremy Pelt and his quintet.  Recorded at Paris’s Sunside/Sunset Jazz Club, the trumpeter brings plenty of that live performance electricity to the recorded medium.  It’s pure straight-ahead goodness, both from an old-school and new-school point of view.  Pelt’s quintet is solid, with bassist Vicente Archer, drummer Jonathan Barber, percussionist Jacquelene Acevedo and (personal favorite) pianist Victor Gould.  The thrills are immediate when Pelt ramps up the voltage, but the serious heat gets delivered when the quintet slows things down and patiently emotes on “I Will Wait For You.”  That feel is evident in every note, and that’s why each one gives the strong impression of serious and sincere meaning.  Music from Paris via NYC.

Artist site | Buy:  Amazon

 

Ksawery Wójciński & Wojciech Jachna ‎- Conversation With Space (Fundacja Słuchaj!)

The duo of Ksawery Wójciński & Wojciech Jachna are hypnotic like the storming sea.  Waves of dissonance comes crashing down and the spray of rain sometimes cuts across the face like glass and sometimes it cools the brow.  Turbulence shakes every note and every step forward is unsteady and perilous.  But there is a peacefulness inherent in that furious environment, when the senses grasp the entirety of the ocean rather than focusing on the individual waves and lightning and raindrops… and how everything is connected and moves with the patience of a planet rotating through time.  The bassist and trumpeter embody this sensation on their compelling Conversation With Space.  And sometimes, when they enter the eye of the storm, there’s a melodic tranquility that is damn near addictive and will make you never want to leave.  Excellent stuff here.  Music from Warsaw, Poland.

Artist site | Listen | Buy:  Bandcamp

 

Paul Bedal – Mirrors (Bace Records)

It’s the little things that make the difference on the new recording from Paul Bedal.  It’s the way in which trumpeter Jean Caze and alto saxophonist Caroline Davis suddenly come together from their separate flight patterns.  It’s how the twittering undercurrent of bassist Dion Kerr suddenly makes its presence felt in that way the cadence of grass resonates on a sun-kissed afternoon.  It’s where the conversational manner of drummer Matt Carroll falls into the stream of dialog struck up by Bedal’s melodic voicing on piano.  This is your standard straight-ahead modern jazz session, and all of these little things endow it with an individuality that is quite striking.  And enjoyable… plenty enjoyable, too.  Music from Chicago.

Artist site | Listen | Buy:  Bandcamp – Amazon

 

Fabrice Sotton – The Time Has Come (Self-Produced)

Fabrice Sotton has got a feel on piano that makes the simplest melodies resonate like mad, and only requires the gentlest coaxing to set them into motion.  This solo set is just more evidence at how little difference there is between a pretty melody and flickering candlelight when the pianist is in a mood to conjure up some imagery.  Need some music for a peaceful Sunday morning that possesses the liveliness of leaves fluttering in the breeze just outside your window?  If yes (and who doesn’t?), then download this album.  Music from Paris.

Artist site | Listen | Buy:  Amazon

 

Marc Sarrazy & Laurent Rochelle – Chansons Pour L’oreille Gauche (Linoleum Records)

There’s a potent chemistry activated when clarinetist Laurent Rochelle and pianist Marc Sarrazy collaborate.  It transforms succinct melodic visions into wildly blossoming imagery, and makes elastic the sense of time in which they evolve into their final shape and form.  Their enchanting 2017 release Intranquillité is a prelude to more of the same on their latest creation.  When Rochelle switches over to bass clarinet, the inherent moodiness becomes like magic unleashed.  It’s a similar effect when Sarrazy utilizes a prepared piano, though this personality trait reveals itself in the subtle effects on melody and how fragile it can appear even at its strongest articulation.  Some additional textures are arrive via guest strings and percussion, and most especially the vocals of Anja Kowalski and echoes of the OKIDOKI Quartet project.  Music from Toulouse, France.

Artist site | Listen | Buy:  Bandcamp

 

By • Jazz Recommendations - 2018 • 0 • Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Jul 8 2018

So, about this Bill Frisell guest spot…

 

It’s been a long time.  Nearly ten years, in fact, since I first discovered this album.  The details are a bit fuzzy, naturally, from all that time passing.  But I’m pretty sure I discovered this album simply wandering the halls of eMusic, looking for either cool modern jazz recordings or ambient shoegaze for those early mornings and late nights when the peaceful hours call for peaceful music.  Matt Brown‘s solo project Disinterested falls into the latter category.  As I gave it an initial listen, I thought I heard a Bill Frisell influence.  As it turned out, it was more than just an influence.  Brown had recruited his fellow Seattle resident to contribute to an album track on Behind Us.

That track is called “Blankets,” and it is a beautiful tune on a gorgeous album.  And the rest of the album is truly beautiful… but “Blankets” is the gem of the recording, and it makes me wistful that Frisell only makes that solitary appearance.  The woven melody of “Blankets” possesses an allure all its own, and resonates stronger than anything else on the recording.  It’s undeniable that the two musicians formed a connection, even if for just that brief time.

For almost ten years, I’ve given myself an infusion of this sonic tranquility.  It occurred to me that I should probably give the album a mention, since, y’know, I’ve got this website and all.  Consider yourselves informed.

Your album personnel:  Matt Brown (guitar) and guests:  Bill Frisell (guitar, loops), Nathan Skolrud (drums), Ross Simonini (percussion), Anna-Lynne Williams (voice), and Chris Stromquist (drum sample).

Released originally in 2007 on Dynamaphone Records.

Listen to more of the album on the artist’s Bandcamp page.

Music from Seattle, WA.

Available at:  Bandcamp | Amazon

By • Beyond Jazz Reviews, These are songs that I like • 2

Jul 7 2018

These are videos that I like: Best Jazz on Bandcamp recommendations

 

My June recommendations just posted on the The Bandcamp Daily, but let’s revisit some of the recordings that made previous recommendations so special.

First up is Joe Lovano & Sound Prints performing my favorite Wayne Shorter tune, “Juju,” from a recent show at the Parisian nightclub New Morning.  It also appears on the ensemble’s new release Scandal.

Here’s a link to my album write-up for The Bandcamp Daily.  And you can just go give the album a listen, and purchase it, on the artist’s Bandcamp page.  It’s also available at Amazon.

The Anteloper duo of Jaimie Branch and Jason Nazary are a hell of thing to witness live.  Their hyperactivity has a hypnotic quality all its own, but when they suddenly infuse some thick melodicism into the chaotic turbulence, that effect is amplified exponentially.  Their debut Kudu captures that energy to a remarkable degree.  But definitely go see them live if they stop in a zip code near you.

Here’s a link to my album write-up for The Bandcamp Daily.  And you can just go give the album a listen, and purchase it, on the artist’s Bandcamp page.  It’s also available at Amazon.

Next up is a promo video for Murmuration, the newest from Bernhard Meyer.  The bassist has created one of the more compelling post-jazz recordings I’ve heard in a while.  It’s the kind of music that will as easily appeal to fans of Radiohead as it will those of Claudia Quintet.  Meyer has had his handprints on a number of excellent recordings this year, including albums by Wanja Slavin Lotus Eaters and Other Animal.

Here’s a link to my album write-up for The Bandcamp Daily.  And you can just go give the album a listen, and purchase it, on the artist’s Bandcamp page.  It’s also available at Amazon.

And let’s wrap up with a promo video for Laura Schuler’s Kronikor.  The violinist deftly manipulates the currents of dissonance and tranquility into something quite mesmerizing.  I’m a sucker for videos with airports/airplanes in them, so that’s why I embedded the video I did.  But also check out the in-studio video performance of an album track, too.

Here’s a link to my album write-up for The Bandcamp Daily.  And you can just go give the album a listen, and purchase it, on the artist’s Bandcamp page.  It’s also available at Amazon.

And follow this link to check out the archives of my Best Jazz on Bandcamp recommendations on The Bandcamp Daily.

By • These are videos that I like • 0

« Older Entries Newer Entries »