L’occhio della betulla is the second of two releases from Marco Santilli in 2017, and it’s no less mesmerizing than its counterpart.  For this session, it’s only his CheRoba quartet (on La Stua, they were joined by the woodwind quintet il Fiato delle Alpi), but the smaller outfit doesn’t sacrifice anything in emotional impact.

This mix of chamber, jazz and folk accentuates the beauty of a simple melody, and patiently illustrates how a universe of possibilities exist within the nuance of each.  These are tranquil pieces.  They bubble with life and each has its own personality, but there’s no doubt they all source from the same vision at the same point in time and space.  When percussionist Fulvio Maras incorporates a hang drum on “Agasul,” it has the same soothing effect as when Lorenzo Frizzera switches to 12-string guitar on “Variationen über den Namen Hesse.”  And when Santilli’s bass clarinet provides the cover of shadow on the sunny tune “Saphyrion,” it springs from the same inspiration as the bustling excitement of Ivan Tibolla‘s piano on title-track “L’occhio della betulla.”  All of it snaps into place, in its own time as the album passes through it.  And even when the intensity spikes on “When Hermann Meets Hari” and “Come le Foglie,” the air is still thick with the serenity of previous passages spread out across the album’s timeline.

Just a gorgeous album.  Just like La Stua.

Your album personnel:  Marco Santilli (clarinet, bass clarinet), Lorenzo Frizzera (12-string & classical guitars), Ivan Tibolla (piano, accordion) and Fulvio Maras (percussion).

Released on Unit Records.

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

Music from Zürich, Switzerland.

Available at:  Amazon | eMusic

Here is some very good new music.

Maciej Obara Quartet – Unloved

It’s pretty cool seeing alto saxophonist Maciej Obara get opened up to wider recognition on the ECM Records label.  Previously, this site has covered his albums on For-Tune Records with the ensembles Obara International and Power of the Horns.  On his Obara International recording Komeda, the sound lived inside the hurricane but would occasionally vacation in the eye of the storm.  On Unloved, the equation is flipped.  And while there are moments on this recording that succumb to the possibility of combustion, it spends more time in moodier, peaceful territory.  This isn’t a bad thing by any means, as it allows facets of melodicism to emerge that might not otherwise be as evident under more volatile conditions.  Obara’s quartet are familiar faces with pianist Dominik Wania, bassist Ole Morten Vågan and drummer Gard Nilssen.

Learn more at ECM Records.  Available at Amazon.

Anouar Brahem – Blue Maqams

Anouar Brahem has been responsible for some of the more spellbinding music over the last couple of decades.  The Tunsian oud player has a talent for combining folk, jazz and chamber in a way that is both blissfully serene and casually friendly.  Perhaps most remarkable of all is that one album can sound noticeably different from the next, even though it’s apparent he’s working with the same ingredients and the same approach.  Perhaps it’s that different but familiar quality that makes Brahem’s music so personable and easy to connect with.  On his newest, he brings back old collaborators and new, with bassist Dave Holland, pianist Django Bates and drummer Jack DeJohnette.  Unsurprisingly, with this line-up, the jazz influence is the primary mover on this nifty session, which is a nice change of pace.  That said, Brahem’s voicing on oud certainly isn’t going to allow any session to wander into straight-ahead territory, and the pieces on Blue Maqams are no less a potent enchantment than anything else he’s released.  So, if you’ve enjoyed past Brahem recordings, you can safely hit the download button on his newest and expect to be equally happy.

Learn more at ECM Records.  Available at Amazon.

Vijay Iyer Sextet – Far From Over

Vijay Iyer really lets himself loose on his fifth album for ECM Records.  Steve Lehman shaping a melody is like watching an icicle form on fast forward… the saxophonist infuses the strange twists and bends with an elegance that makes the improbable logical. That Iyer is able to incorporate that quality into a groove-heavy track like “Nope” is an extraordinary characteristic on an enjoyable album.  And then there’s the intriguing twist of Iyer switching over to Fender Rhodes for the fusion-heavy “End of the Tunnel” and how the melody of “For Amiri Baraka” has a pop song simplicity and yet resonates with the common magic of a sunset.  And don’t overlook “Down to the Wire” and “Good on the Ground” and the way explosive solos and an elusive groove echo those exact moments when a Hard Bop tune decided it wanted to be more free.  Plenty here to like, including a strong line-up of cornetist Graham Haynes, drummer Tyshawn Sorey, double bassist Stephan Crump, tenor saxophonist Mark Shim and alto saxophonist Steve Lehman.

Learn more at ECM Records.  Available at Amazon.

Aaron Parks – Find the Way

The latest from pianist Aaron Parks is a nice example of how understated music can still be a hotbed for activity.  Exhibit A is drummer Billy Hart and how he delicately rattles the tempo off the surface of melodic plumes issuing forth from piano.  Exhibit B is bassist Ben Street and how he shifts in and out of phase with Parks’ rhythmic footfalls.  And then there’s Parks himself, who continues to show a talent for infusing a moody ambiance with a melodic depth that cuts to the heart of the matter, giving direction to music that might otherwise prefer just to drift aimlessly.  Fair warning that the song “Unravel” is potentially addictive.

Stream an album track on the artist’s site.

Learn more at ECM Records.  Available at Amazon.

David Virelles – Gnosis

This album effects a convergence of Cuba and NYC, and neither music influence is left unchanged.  The clash between a chamber music sparseness and Cuban folk flow is as dramatic as the sky during a full eclipse, as is the resultant tension of one aspect seeking ascension over the other.  This large ensemble offering from pianist David Virelles guides an ensemble heavy on percussion and strings through pieces with an improvisational streak and a classical framework.  At times this music seems impenetrable and yet there are passages as easy to welcome as a gentle, incoming tide.  Gnosis is a challenging work, for both listener and creator alike.  But the arc of Virelles’s recording career seems tailor-made for this kind of step up… pairing up on projects with Tomas Stanko and Chris Potter while also pulling Henry Threadgill and Alexander Overington into his orbit on other projects speaks to exactly the reason Virelles is able to bring about a convergence between seemingly divergent paths.  A seriously compelling work.

Read more at ECM Records. Available at Amazon.

Here is some very good new music.

Ezra Collective – Juan Pablo: The Philosopher (Enter the Jungle Records)

So, with Juan Pablo: The Philosopher, there’s some afro beat, some modern fusion, some strings, some updated cosmic jazz, some edgy post bop, and probably a number of other influences, but nothing where a thick cause-and-effect line could be drawn from one point to the other.  And that doesn’t really seem to be where Ezra Collective is coming from anyway.  This music gives a hat tip to the artists and their music that came before without really intending to represent as sourcing from an official school of jazz music.  That diversity of sound is a big reason this album keeps the ear locked in place at attention.  That said, the live wire electricity of the pieces, and the flow of that voltage from first note to last, can be considered addictive in its own right.  Bassist TJ Koleoso, drummer Femi Koleoso, pianist Joe Armon-Jones, trumpeter Dylan Jones, tenor saxophonist James Mollison, tenor saxophonist Nubya Garcia and tubist Theon Cross are numbered among this interesting new outfit.

Artist site | Listen | Buy:  Bandcamp – Amazon

Lucas Pino – The Answer Is No (Outside In Music)

The track “Sea Level” is a nice reminder of just how much nuance and loveliness Lucas Pino can weave into a melody.  The tenor saxophonist’s No Net Nonet is able and willing to bring a big sound, dense with harmonies and served up at a brisk tempo.  But those times when he lets a piece breathe nice and slow, aside from its obvious magnetism, it illuminates just how much is going on when a tune comes out with a huge sound.  And make no mistake, those hard-charging pieces are plenty enjoyable.  It’s just nice to get a closer view of what makes them tick.  Pino’s No Net Nonet has a wealth of talent, and on this session, baritone saxophonist Andrew​ ​Gutauskas​ and guitarist Rafal Sarnecki really stand out.

Artist site | Listen | Buy:  Bandcamp – Amazon

Watchdog – Can of Worms (Label Pince-Oreilles)

There’s a captivating quality to this fun session from the duo Watchdog.  Clarinetist Pierre Horckmans and pianist Anne Quillier create a hazy environment where melodies appear warped and wobbly and out of focus.  The duo exploits those qualities to amplify the harmonic effects, and this is where the real fun begins.  Quillier mixes in some moog and Fender Rhodes, which adds an element of the organic and electronic battling it out within all of that hazy expressionism.  Something a little different, to be sure.

Artist site | Listen | Buy:  Bandcamp – Amazon

Anat Cohen Tentet – Happy Song (Anzic Records)

On her newest release, there’s a sense that Anat Cohen couldn’t set upon one specific direction, so she decided to just take them all.  The clarinetist sets upon a tour of the wide expanse of jazz forms, offering up pieces of big band swing, Brazilian, Afro-jazz spiritual, klezmer or just dig into a modern groove.  This is Cohen’s third release in 2017, and no different than the first two to hit the shelves this year, Happy Song has its own distinct personality.  You’re never going to go wrong scooping up a Cohen release.

Artist site | Buy:  Bandcamp – Amazon

Rob Schneiderman – Tone Twister (Hollistic MusicWorks)

On a modern jazz landscape where the music can come off as alien to the sound of jazz in its heyday, this pleasant straight-ahead session from pianist Rob Schneiderman will ring familiar.  It benefits greatly from the contributions of trumpeter Brian Lynch, who increasingly becomes remindful of classic Donald Byrd and his combination of sharp lyricism packaged with an innate soulfulness.  And this whole quintet is locked in sync, trading volleys as effortlessly as they move in concert.  Tenor saxophonist Ralph Moore, bassist Gerald Cannon and drummer Pete Van Nostrand round out that quintet.  This is one of two new releases on Lynch’s label, which has given notice that it’ll be releasing more music than just Lynch’s own projects.  Tone Twister, and Hallways from Jared Hall, are a promising start.

Artist site | Listen | Buy:  Bandcamp – Amazon