Here is some very good new music.

Ill Considered – Ill Considered (Self-Produced)

This album is what happens when rocket fuel is distilled into sound.  The Ill Considered quartet of saxophonist Idris Rahman, bassist Leon Brichard, percussionist Yahael Camara-Onono and drummer Emre Ramazanoglu slam down on the gas pedal right from go, and never let up.  But it’s not a race, and this quartet doesn’t move in a straight line.  Melodies work all the angles, and aren’t afraid to circle back and traverse old territory.  The rhythmic approach has the same attitude, where kicking up some dust while sprinting isn’t an excuse not to explore all of the nuance and contours of the landscape.  Cool music out of London.

Artist site | Listen | Buy:  Bandcamp – Amazon

Teri Parker – In the Past (Self-Produced)

The latest from Teri Parker is a nice laid-back piano session, especially when held in comparison to the wild creativity of her Parker Abbott trio project.  The swaying ballad “On the Farm” and the bop-and-skip of “Oy, Regy!” pull up from the roots of jazz, while the moody “Majnoun” and the sunny “Summer City” branch out into modern territory.  But all these tracks, regardless of the era they belong to, stick to a demeanor well suited to lazy Sunday afternoons when a peacefulness abides and a spark of life can resonate like mad.  Parker is joined by saxophonist Allison Au, bassist Mark Godfrey and drummer Mack Longpre.  Music from Toronto.

Artist site | Listen | Buy:  Bandcamp – Amazon

Chris Speed Trio – Platinum on Tap (Intakt Records)

The new album from Chris Speed is a Möbius strip.  It twists and turns over and over and over again, but its lyricism is a flat, smooth surface and displays a fluency as seamless as anything could be at these speeds and this level of intensity.  The saxophonist is joined by bassist Chris Tordini and drummer Dave King, and none of ’em hold anything back.  They each carry on the same conversation, each in their own way, and so it’s remarkable that the music is as cohesive and fluid as it is.  Yes, the raised heat of “Crooked Teeth” burns away the edges of the tune’s structure, and the brief pauses of silence on “Red Hook Nights” add tiny speed bumps to this album’s appealing forward momentum, but all in all, the trio found, and stayed in, that sweet spot where motion and melody exist in perfect harmony.

Artist site | Listen | Buy:  Bandcamp – Amazon

Stefanos Tsourelis – Native Speaker (Self-Produced)

Native Speaker has a peaceful ambiance that’s got a certain charm.  But the real draw is when Stefanos Tsourelis switches over from guitar to oud.  Oud isn’t a typical instrument in the jazz setting, especially in a relatively straight-ahead session, and so it’s pretty illuminating to hear it drive this trio session.  Curiosity aside, though, there’s plenty here to like.  Bassist Dave Jones and drummer Eric Ford round out the trio.  Music from London.

Artist site | Listen | Buy:  Bandcamp – Amazon

Peter Ivshin – The Path Of The Hermit, Vol. 1 (Art Beat Music)

Compelling sense of drama and intensity on this set from drummer Peter Ivshin.  Three extended pieces build up from a whisper of melody to a monsoon of harmony.  The give-and-take between song structure and wild improvisation adds a welcome dose of tension.  Pianist Dmitry Ilugdin, bassist Igor Ivanushkin and saxophonist Alexey Kruglov round out Ivshin’s quartet.  Some enjoyable music from Moscow.

No artist site | Listen | Buy:  Bandcamp

This album is featured without comment.  I noticed it back over the summer when I was going through the new release listings.  I can find nothing substantial about the album or the artist online.  I followed a couple leads, but received no response to any of my emails.  There is a part of me that suspects this is a DJ collage of previously recorded material, and then there’s a part of me who thinks it’s one dude playing all the instruments and electronics and splicing them together, but I can’t confirm these suspicions one way or the other.

But I remember finding it really catchy months ago, and I still do today.  So, here it is, give it a listen.  I present:  Vilania by Sangue Verde.

It’s available on Bandcamp.

This Is A Real Place is a little bit whimsical and a little bit chatty and all kinds of soothing.  Francois Jalbert & Jérôme Beaulieu take a laid-back approach on their debut as a duo.  The melodies reflect a simple beauty, like the crisp blue color of a cloudless sky on a clear day.  Any sense of motion comes about as a result of the particular way the guitarist and pianist choose to develop the melody for a particular song.

The seaside ambiance of “Muffin” draws upon the influences of the American South and the blues figures prominently in the jaunty “Hiding in the Woods” and “Snack Bar,” but for the most part, this is music that doesn’t attempt to mine an influence so much as just fill the room with warm sounds.

This is the album you pull up when the rain begins and all you want to do is sit by the window and watch it come down.

Your album personnel:  Francois Jalbert (guitar) and Jérôme Beaulieu (piano).

Released on Multiple Chord Music.

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

Music from Montreal, Québec.

Available at:  Bandcamp | Amazon