Dec 26 2017
Best of 2017 #18: Fabian Almazan & Rhizome – “Alcanza” (Biophilia Records)
There’s a huge presence to the latest from Fabian Almazan and his ensemble Rhizome. The pianist’s theme of the individual’s connection to the environment plays out across a nine-movement suite, and its diverse mix of influences and instrumentation leads to heavy imagery and a sweeping grandeur. In particular, the vocal contributions from Camila Meza create a harmonic environment highly conducive to soaring melodies, and a string section that includes site-favorite Tomoko Omura adds a majestic quality to send those melodies even higher. It would appear from the very start, Alcanza had its sights set of a very high plateau. It’s not really a question of whether it was achieved, because the true joy of this album is experienced by the way it takes flight. That journey leads to a wealth of thrilling moments.
Music from NYC.
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It’s truly amazing how violinist Sam Bardfeld is able to thread the needle at the point where avant-garde, modern jazz and chamber come together. The nature of the lyricism of The Great Enthusiasms is one of curious melodies, volatile bursts of intensity, and a sardonic wit. The trio of Bardfeld, pianist Kris Davis and drummer Michael Sarin somehow roll out this concoction of tones and influences in a way that is remarkably embraceable. If one were to create a soundtrack for a printed collection of The Far Side comic strips, this is likely how it would sound.
Depending on how you go about looking at it, the sense is that Horizon is rooted to New Orleans in a number of ways. To start with the obvious, it’s where Helen Gillet lives. The Tephra Sound ensemble began in the cellist’s living room, and the resulting album was recorded there, too. There are also those moments in this dynamically diverse recording that key into a traditional New Orleans sound. And then there’s the idea of how Jazz, at its birth, was music that represented the melting pot of the city… that, with blues as its base, added the ingredients of disparate cultures as it all came together. That, too, is reflective of Horizon… measured by the diversity of its influences and the backgrounds of its members. The mix of old-school, new-school and no-school leads to moments that are joyful or ferocious or introspective or all of that and more. It’s also a whole bundle of fun, setting a charge for both head and heart. And the spontaneity that set the whole thing in motion is present throughout the recording session. Tephra Sound conjures up a unique kind of magic.
Though both had made their respective marks while on the NYC scene, it wasn’t until after Rebecca Martin and Guillermo Klein had each relocated to upstate New York that the two ultimately collaborated. It was worth the wait. Their respective balance between folk musics and modern jazz sync up perfectly on The Upstate Project, and lead to a series of poignant moments rich with melodicism… and this applies to the union of their voices as well as between guitar and piano. A reworking of Bill Frisell’s classic song “Throughout” is nice bonus to accompany some beautiful original pieces. This collaboration should happen far more often.
Dec 26 2017
Best of 2017 #17: Brot & Sterne – “Tales of Herbst” (Traumton)
Music from Brest, France and Wien, Austria.
Read more at Bird is the Worm.
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By davesumner • Recap: Best of 2017 • 0 • Tags: Brest (France), Brot & Sterne, Jazz - Best of 2017, Traumton Records, Wien (Austria)