Mar 21 2018
The Round-up: The path to you
Here is some very good new music.
Indigo Kid – III: Moment Gone In the Clouds (Babel Label)
Dan Messore’s Indigo Kid unit keeps switching things up, and every damn time the changes kick up all kinds of interesting developments. For the third installment, much of the quirky, angular expressionism is swapped out for a free flowing lyricism. The guitarist also brings in a new line-up with flautist Gareth Lockrane, bassist Calum Gourlay and drummer Tim Giles. The addition of Lockrane has the most obvious effect on the transformation in sound from previous albums to the current one, but if it weren’t for the Gourlay’s and Giles’ ability to keep light on their feet while adding depth to the melodies, the music might get so light as to be insubstantial. Instead, the feathery presence unleashes the presence of a bird in flight, wings flapping mightily as it soars effortlessly skyward. Music from London.
Artist site | Listen | Buy: Bandcamp – Amazon
Kelp – Intake (Self-Produced)
I can’t help but like this album. Its raw energy and wild enthusiasm are pretty damn addictive. Intake is a recording that is likely to make you react with an amused smile and a jaw dropped to the floor. The hyperactive piano trio Kelp starts out the album slow, then gradually acquires a head of steam that sees them hurtling to the finish line like runaway train that left the tracks encased in a ball of flame. And exploding. Definitely some explosions should get included in the metaphor. Crazy fun music from Fukuoka, Japan.
No artist site | Listen | Buy: Bandcamp
The Mo’ Times – The Mo’ Times (Self-Produced)
The Mo’ Times really sink their teeth into a classic hard bop sound. Plenty of warmth and exuberance generated by this quartet of saxophonist Mickaël Pernet, pianist Jules Le Risbé, bassist Charles Huck and drummer Valentin Jam, and it’s catchy as hell. Their reference of McCoy Tyner’s “Passion Dance” during an interlude of their own “Garlix Blues” and the opening stanzas of “Les Indiens” is probably all you need to know about how this quartet’s heart beats. So much fun. Music from Montpellier, France.
Artist site | Listen | Buy: Bandcamp
Dreaming of White Horses – Dreaming of White Horses (Self-Produced)
There’s an appealing laid-back feel to the self-titled debut from Dreaming of White Horses. Front and center is how soprano sax and fiddle fall into a comfortable lyrical embrace. Guitar, piano, bass and drums circle around, occasionally enfolding the pair, and creating an ebb and flow of nuanced intensity that makes all the difference. That the temperature perpetually hovers near fireplace cozy is why the music is always just a little bit lively and just enough conversational to ever let things devolve into sleepy territory. Easy to like this one. Music from Glasgow, Scotland.
Artist site | Listen | Buy: Bandcamp
Chris Whiter – Encapsulation (Self-Produced)
There’s an enveloping moodiness to this experimental work from Chris Whiter. Joined by tenor saxophonist Riley Stone-Lonergan and pianist Vince Webb, Whiter infuses live electronics into the mix with his own baritone sax and bass flute. The deeper tones present some startling contrasts with the electronic frisson and effects, as well as the burgeoning tension from his counterpart’s instruments. The pattern is a melody slowly emerging from a steady pulsing drone, as if a dream of harmony transforming into a brand new melody. Music from London.
Artist site | Listen | Buy: Bandcamp
If I had to point to one album that exemplified the thriving state of Jazz, and its undeniable hope for the future, it would be The Imaginary Delta. By mixing traditional instruments and forms with modern instruments and composition, Fairhall is simultaneously forward-thinking while still tending to the roots of Jazz’s past. And, really, both those things are important. Jazz is about tradition, just as Jazz is about innovation. Most jazz musicians are able to do one of those things well, a smaller group are able to do one of those things great… but it’s a rare thing for an artist to do both of those things, simultaneously, great. Fairhall has done that here. Inventive music that echoes the spirit of Charles Mingus. The Bird is the Worm 2012 Album of the Year. 
A trio of piano, vocals, and bass clarinet/sax. A storytelling flair that could give Tom Waits a run for his money. Heartbreak stories about hopeless cases who can’t stop hoping for the best. Siskind has plenty of page-turning moments on keys, but doesn’t hog the spotlight from his trio mates. Harms has a way with vocals that give jawdropping turns of vulnerability and disarming playful missives. Pino charms on bass clarinet, and provides a noir-ish ambiance to an album that is moody as hell. Also, what you hear on the album is what you get live… the trio is just as evocative in a live setting. One of those albums that just seems to materialize out of thin air, full of intensity and presence.
From a live performance while on tour, Robbins brings a studio warmth to the vivid persona of a live recording. Robbins knows how to giftwrap a complex melody into a simple present, and it’s the highlight of this album. Interplay between quartet members an added bonus, but it’s the tunefulness of the album tracks that makes this recording so damn addictive. I already had a pretty strong like of past Robbins’ recordings, but he really upped the bar to my mind with this release. Robbins is making his mark.
Jesse van Ruller’s trio of guitar, bass clarinet, and bass brings the moodiness of the Netherlands scene full-on, and applies it to a chamber jazz format. Sparse and haunting, yet so full of warmth. Quiet music for quiet moments, but performed in a way to keep the brain’s synapses fully occupied. This album has been in regular rotation on my stereo since I first discovered it, and it’s showing no signs of going away. I’m a fan of sleepy music, but it’s the albums that also let some life shine through that gain my esteem. One of those albums that does more with less.
The music of Paul Motian isn’t an easy safe to crack, possessing a quiet strength that’s both subtle and obtuse. Drummer Jeff Cosgrove found a way in, however, and came back out with his own sound and vision of Motian’s music. With an overt bluegrass/folk sheen to his jazz interpretations, Cosgrove’s ensemble found the right mix of haunting warmth to do honor the late great drummer, while also bringing a unique recording to the table. This is the type of album I listen to only on occasion but when I do, I completely immerse myself in it. This music is self-contained, like losing oneself for a short time in a little-known far-away place. Very cool.
Based on a book that gave the freedom to approach the story in different ways, so it goes on Rayeula that complexities and wrinkles are woven into the fabric of beautifully textured music. This is one of those recordings that dropped my jaw the first time I heard it, then slowly displayed other, more subtle reasons to appreciate it over the course of time. Zenon increasingly establishes himself as one of the premier voices in Jazz on saxophone, and Coq shows himself to be the perfect foil on piano, counterbalancing Zenon’s fire with some keyboard ice. The inspired decision to include Dana Leong on cello and trombone, and add tabla and various other percussion to Dan Weiss’s ensemble responsibilities both add elements to the music that imbues it with a vibrant color that elevates this album up a notch. Challenging music that is simple to enjoy.
I’m enamored with the premise of building an album around compositions based on the children’s lullaby “Twinkle Twinkle.” It’s the right kind of clever. However, while there is a soothing nighttime quality to this music, these ain’t song to fall asleep to. When I first sat down to listen to this recording, my assumption is that it would be something not unlike an ECM piano trio snoozer. But, actually, most tracks are quite lively, and far more representative of Babel Label’s inventive catalog of releases. Solid, from first note to last.
Threads Orchestra’s sophomore release leaves behind much of the genre-warping it artfully performed on its debut Threads, and instead focus on a seamless mix of jazz, classical, and folk as its vehicle for presenting some of the more compelling music on the scene. A cinematic presence with a theatrical flair, the album reflects the music for unperformed theater as dreamt up in composer Jonathan Brigg’s head. This ensemble has proven over the course of two albums that they won’t hesitate to experiment without having to compromise making their music an effortless listen.
There’s a relentlessness to this album that’s always appealed to me. It can be felt even when di Benedetto’s ensemble takes to the sky to soar or when it slows things down to slowly crunch over earth. A straight-ahead recording that should appeal to both new and old-schoolers alike.
This is music in motion. This is music that flows with grace, whether expressing a calm nature or something more on the wild side. Yokai, the excellent release by drummer Anne Paceo, makes its mark by establishing a lovely fluidity despite having many different parts in play.
On Oskar Schönning‘s 2012 release, The Violin, he cooks up a recipe that is one-half old-school bop and one-half modern Nordic jazz, and he presents them slowly, one at a time, like photos in a slideshow, one after the other, joined not by music elements, but by the totality of the story.
Jun 25 2018
The Round-up: Sometimes, being close is the hardest thing
Here is some very good new music.
David Ake – Humanities (Posi-Tone Records)
It happens quite often on Humanities that a rising intensity becomes a conflagration, and if any attempt at control is being exerted, it has no effect. And yet, despite it all, there’s a moodiness that hangs over the newest from David Ake, and it has the effect of framing hyperactivity as an introspective matter rather than an emotional one. It’s why “Groundwork” possesses the hypnotic effect of burning embers even when its flames reach up to the night sky. It’s why “Stream” etches a path from first note to last even as it pulls apart the bonds that keep it together in a recognizable shape and moving with a concentrated focus. The pianist has a nice history on the Posi-Tone Records label, and can always be relied upon for doing something a little different with a straight-ahead sound. Humanities might be the most enjoyable example of that trend. The pianist is joined by trumpeter Ralph Alessi, guitarist Ben Monder, bassist Drew Gress and drummer Mark Ferber. Music from Miami, Florida.
Artist site | Listen | Buy: Amazon
Roger Kim – Portrait Maker (Self-Produced)
I’m not sure this chamber jazz session could be any more gorgeous. Roger Kim‘s large ensemble of strings and wind instruments and voices possess an ethereal presence, but so great is its majesty that the sensation is of clouds that could sweep you off your feet and carry you away. The guitarist (who also adds some banjo to the mix) titles the first track “Franny and Zooey in the Snow,” and the music captures the essence of a lovely winter day surrounded by snowflakes with the same immediacy that it does the resounding innocence clung to by many of J.D. Salinger’s storybook characters. The album clocks in a little under thirty minutes. It’s music that feels like it could go on forever and then suddenly ends too soon. Music from Oakland, CA.
Artist site | Listen | Buy: Bandcamp
Emil Miszk & The Sonic Syndicate – Don’t Hesitate! (Alpaka Records)
The sudden transitions between soothing harmonies and caustic dissonance are quite jarring. But the pattern repeats itself throughout this intriguing session from Emil Miszk & The Sonic Syndicate, and familiarity breeds friendliness. The trumpeter leads an octet comprised half of wind instruments and the other half of guitar, piano, bass and drums. It’s the former that’s most responsible for those lovely harmonic passages and the latter for the edginess. There are moments, however, when the transfer of power between the two achieves a certain balance, a unity of expression, and everything makes sense. An interesting debut. Music from Gdańsk, Poland.
Artist site | Listen | Buy: Bandcamp – Amazon
Attila Gyárfás – Cloud Factory (Sinistra)
There’s a very fun and wild personality exhibited by this debut from Attila Gyárfás. Mixing punk rock, modern jazz and Frisellian effects, the drummer shuffles the deck of tones for atmospheric effect and edgy counterweights to the ambience. He’s joined by the bass and guitar duo of Marco Zenini & Márton Fenyvesi, along with Felician Erlenburg and Jason Alder on wind instruments. In addition to the changes in tone, the spikes of intensity are as thrilling as the peaceful moments are comforting. Just a really neat album, and the kind of thing that really shouldn’t fly under the radar. Not all of you will like this recording, but some of you will fall head over heels for it. Music from Budapest, Hungary
Artist site | Listen | Buy: Bandcamp – Amazon
Bruno Heinen – Mr. Vertigo (Babel Label)
There’s a distinct personality to the music of Bruno Heinen. Whether it’s an embrace of the music of Karlheinz Stockhausen and Vivaldi or a set of songs that uses the children’s song “Twinkle Twinkle” as their basis or a spin with the Bill Evans songbook, Heinen’s perspective cuts to the heart of the matter. His newest is a solo venture, and it’s particularly intriguing to hear how previous projects filter into a solitary setting. This is especially true of revisiting his Tierkreis project, and how the music box environment falls right into place in the flow of expressionism that marks this set. Music from London.
Artist site | Listen | Buy: Bandcamp – Amazon
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By davesumner • Jazz Recommendations - 2018 • 2 • Tags: Alpaka Records, Attila Gyárfás, Babel Label, Bruno Heinen, Budapest (Hungary), David Ake, Emil Miszk and The Sonic Syndicate, Gdansk (Poland), London, Miami (FL), Oakland (CA), Posi-Tone Records, Roger Kim, Self-Produced, Sinistra, The Round-Up