Best Jazz of 2019

Jan 27 2020

Best of 2019 #33: R. Scott – “Ghosts of Merced”

 

Ghosts of Merced is a quality example of the genre-blending common to the modern jazz scene, where the lines between old-school and new-school jazz are as blurred as they are between jazz, minimalism, rock, chamber, folk and any other influence that seems right in the moment.  But this ephemeral quality can live also as metaphor, and perhaps also intent.  R.Scott’s tribute to his San Joaquin roots is a sonic representation of the life lived on that soil, and life is nothing if not blurred lines of personality and actions and dreams that drive the ineffable equation of “who am I.”  It’s also a recording with deep dives into pools of melody and a rhythmic chatter that ranges from the susurrant to excited chatter.  Chris Schlarb contributes to this recording, and he and Scott are clearly birds of a feather, as Ghosts of Merced harken back to the early Psychic Temple recordings.

Your album personnel:  R. Scott (acoustic piano, Hammond organ, Moog Prodigy synthesizer, Panasonic Panapet transistor radio), Nic Chaffee (trumpet), Danny Frankel (drums, percussion), Philip Glenn (violin), Chris McCarthy (cello), Gabriel “Slam” Nobles (marimba, vibraphone), Alex Sadnik (alto sax), Jeff Schwartz (double bass), Anthony Shadduck (electric bass), Charles Sharp (baritone sax, bass clarinet) and Garrit Tillman (drums).

Released on Orenda Records.

Music from Long Beach, CA.

I wrote about this album for The Bandcamp Daily.

Available at:  Bandcamp | Amazon

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Jan 27 2020

Best of 2019 #34: Beloveds – “Så Tar Natten Dig Åter”

 

There’s a whimsical, theatrical quality to the debut of Beloveds, and it’s as much the guiding hand of the music as it is a reaction to the cross-country folk music travels of the septet’s range.  But what brings it all together for this Gothenburg ensemble is their adherence to Progg, the Swedish left wing, anti-commercial music movement of the previous century.  The sense of this being protest music is unmissable, and even when they express a sardonic attitude or silly sense of humor, the weight of their perspective hangs over it all and keeps things centered.  Wild melodic excursions, quick scene changes in tone, and harmonies that spring up like the mighty beating of wings as birds rise in flight make this one of the more eccentric, and fun, recordings of 2019.

Your album personnel:  Channa Riedel (vocals), Anton Jonsson (drums), Björn Petersson (bass), Joel Haag (guitar), Gustav Davidsson (trombone), Pelle Westlin (tenor sax, clarinet) and Karl Magnús Andersson (piano).

Released on Abrovinsch Records.

Music from Gothenburg, Sweden.

Listen | Read more | Available at:  Bandcamp – Amazon

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Jan 26 2020

Best of 2019 #35: Daniel Erdmann’s Velvet Revolution – “Won’t Put No Flag Out”

 

Daniel Erdmann expresses a peculiar melodic perspective, and yet, somehow, still crafts things in a way that is inviting and almost catchy in its way.  One factor most responsible for overcoming any obstacles frequently encountered by unconventional music is Erdmann’s talent for giving curious melodies an anthemic quality.  There is often the sense that these melodies are an attempt to speak to something communal shared by all people, a variable common to us all regardless of the algebra specific to our individual heartbeats and brain waves.  This seems especially true of his 2019 release Won’t Put No Flag Out, with its roots in protest music and political activism.  And the inherent strangeness of his music is given especially pleasing peculiarities with the Velvet Revolution‘s instrumental combination of tenor sax, strings and vibraphone.  This is truly strange and beautiful music.

Your album personnel:  Daniel Erdmann (tenor sax), Théo Ceccaldi (violin, viola) and Jim Hart (vibraphone).

Released on BMC Records.

Music from Berlin, Germany.

Listen | Read more | Available at: Amazon

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Jan 26 2020

Best of 2019 #36: Kit Downes – “Dreamlife of Debris”

 

Kit Downes has spent the last decade performing in churches.  His duos with Tom Challenger were an intriguing display of how the convergence of organ and tenor saxophone played with the strategic acoustics of these places of worship.  His duos with cellist Lucy Railton had much the same effect, even if the venue was something more conventional.  But the value of many of those recordings were measured in intrigue, and there was a tangible sense that Downes was still deep in exploration.  His 2019 release Dreamlife of Debris is far closer to proof of a discovery.  Switching between piano and organ, and adding drummer Sebastian Rochford and guitarist Stian Westerhus to the mix (along with Railton and Challenger), Downes presents some rather stunning pieces that range from an ethereal presence to a striking harmonic pose.  Judged on its own merits, Dreamlife of Debris is one of the strongest recordings of 2019, but in the context of following an artist’s creative trajectory, it’s the precious and exhilarating experience music fans live for.

Your album personnel:  Kit Downes (piano, organ), Tom Challenger (tenor sax), Stian Westerhus (guitar), Lucy Railton (cello) and Sebastian Rochford (drums).

Released on ECM Records.

Music from London, England.

Listen | Read more | Available at:  Amazon

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Jan 26 2020

Best of 2019 #37: Muriel Grossmann – “Golden Rule”

 

John Coltrane’s “India.”  I could live in that moment forever when Coltrane returns to the melody after a wild divergence.  The way in which meditative drones and chaotic upheaval live in a state of unison within the same piece, and often expressed at the same time, is the kind of miracle that exemplifies humanity at its best.  The spiritual jazz phase of Coltrane’s creative trajectory is a personal favorite, and I am not nearly alone in that regard.  It was a time when an addictive melody could exist in harmony with dissonance and a driving tempo, and despite Coltrane’s prodigious recorded output, the saxophonist still didn’t leave us with enough of it.  Thank god there are musicians who seek to capture that sound and exist in a similar place.

On Golden Rule, Muriel Grossman captures it about as well as anyone I’ve ever heard.  She gives it her own voice and imbues it with a life that speaks to the present day, but it fills an emptiness in the soul that’s existed since Coltrane moved onto more avant-garde territories and, eventually, moved on to another plane.  But, truly, Coltrane never dies, because music like this is timeless, and the way Grossman creates it, the manifestation is the stuff of life.

Your album personnel:  Muriel Grossmann (soprano & tenor saxophones), Gina Schwarz (bass), Uros Stamenkovic (drums), and Radomir Milojkovic (guitar).

The album is Self-Produced.

Music from Ibiza, Spain.

Listen | Read more | Available at:  Bandcamp – Amazon

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