Jan 15 2018
The Round-up: Falling becomes flying becomes light
Here is some very good new music.
Eric Revis – Sing Me Some Cry (Clean Feed Records)
Eric Revis has a way of setting fire to the blues that is pretty damn thrilling, and he also has a way of directing the flames to leave ashes that, also, sound a lot like the blues. In between, when the conflagration of Sing Me Some Cry is in full force, it’s all combustible fury burning bright, and it’s not so much about determining the nature of the sound as it is just appreciating the strength of the explosion. Tenor saxophonist Ken Vandermark, pianist Kris Davis and drummer Chad Taylor help the bassist with the dramatic transmutations. Music from NYC and L.A.
Artist site | Buy: Bandcamp – Amazon
Courtney Pine – Black Notes From the Deep (Freestyle Records)
Courtney Pine is a long time veteran of the jazz scene, so it really should come as no surprise that he’s able to deliver such a soulful album with such a laid-back sound. Some ballads and some blues and some solid vocal contributions from Omar Lye-Fook MBE is the equation that leads to the success of Black Notes From the Deep. This is an album you want playing while you’re sitting around with a drink in one hand and your broken heart in the other. If Omar’s name sounds familiar to readers of this site, it’s because of his powerful contribution to a track on Kairos 4tet’s excellent 2014 release Everything We Hold. Music from London.
Artist site | Listen | Buy: Bandcamp – Amazon
LUMI – A Love Drunk Poem (Havtorn Records)
There’s a structure to these tunes easy to follow, but each is delivered with a looseness that that makes them feel wide open and free to roam where they please. The LUMI quartet of drummer Pontus Häggblom, double bassist Alex Littorin, pianist Martin Jutéus and saxophonist Emil Nerstrand deliver strong takes on thick melodies, then go about stretching and twirling them around in any way that amuses them to do so… and often with a boisterousness that’s positively addictive. And, so, the title A Love Drunk Poem either dictated the album’s boozy lyricism or was the logical choice once everything was done and all that was left was the give the album its name. Either way, the result is bundles of fun. Music from Malmö, Sweden.
Artist site | Buy: Amazon
Lucas Brode – I Lick the Kerosene of Progress (Self-Produced)
This solo guitar set from Lucas Brode is simultaneously gripping and laid-back. It demands attention, but doesn’t necessarily require you to sit up at edge of your seat. The roll-out of melodies is the album’s transformative moment, time and again. Sometimes the melody appears like the dawn over the horizon, sometimes it’s stuttered out like a nervous tic, and other times it eschews form and structure for a pervasive cinematic ambiance. Very cool. Music from NYC.
Artist site | Listen | Buy: Bandcamp
Lena Bloch & Feathery – Heart Knows (Fresh Sound New Talent)
It’s an interesting transformation from Lena Bloch‘s debut to her sophomore release Heart Knows. The debut’s updated true-blue expressionism has morphed into something with thicker ambiance and an emotional amplification bordering on spiritual. Bloch still brings an adroit lyricism even in the moodier atmosphere, and, actually, that may be the contrasting element that makes this album resonate as strongly as it does. The tenor saxophonist brings a solid cast with pianist Russ Lossing, bassist Cameron Brown and drummer Billy Mintz. Music from Brooklyn.
Artist site | Listen | Buy: Amazon
It’s pretty easy to take to the languid melodies and pleasant rhythmic chatter from the trio Kinsmen. Their promising debut Window to the Ashram is a reflection of trio’s roots as fourth-generation South Africans and their Indian ancestry. The combination of sitar, tabla and tenor saxophone is the shape of the door they pass through to achieve their intriguing blend of modern jazz, Indian Classical and folk.
And, as you might have guessed, if there’s more video, that must mean there’s more music. There is. The album Animal Image is getting released February 23rd, 2018 on
Jan 16 2018
Recommended: Holzig – “Holzig”
At the center of this disparity lies the lovely contrast between cello and bass clarinet. The quintet Holzig makes no less of an impact through the utilization of guitar, drums or bass, but the way in which the former instruments lay the melody on thick while the latter grouping of instruments incite a series of subtle acrobatics is why it’s easy to walk away thinking this was a thoroughly peaceful affair. But it’s not. And be thankful for that. Because this band is just as compelling when the heat rises as when drifting off into tranquil ambiance.
Worth noting that Holzig was one of the final cuts on this site’s Best of 2017 list. No reason not to approach it, however, as one of the year’s best.
Your album personnel: Hans Arnold (drums), Christoph Möckel (bass clarinet, tenor sax), Veit Steinmann (cello), Moritz Sembritzki (guitar) and Florian Herzog (bass).
Released on the AJazz label.
Listen to more of the album on the label’s Bandcamp page.
Music from Leipzig, Germany.
Available at: Bandcamp | Amazon
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By davesumner • Jazz Recommendations, Jazz Recommendations - 2017 releases • 0 • Tags: AJazz, Holzig, Leipzig (Germany)