Apr 30 2018
The Round-up: Those days when the city belongs to you
Here is some very good new music.
Kasper Staub Trio – Strøg (Jaeger Community)
This is music that constantly flirts with a tranquil atmosphere but just won’t let it settle in. The trio of pianist Kasper Staub, drummer Anders Vestergaard and bassist Jens Mikkel create pools and eddies of activity, rhythms that bubble up and set the melodies to action. There are plenty of peaceful moments, but far more that twitch with energy that begs to be released. Some albums are made for first thing in the morning. They sync in with a mind, body and soul that is slow to wake and needs a gentle guide to get there. Strøg is the first album you listen to once that process is done. Music from Aarhus, Denmark.
Artist site | Listen | Buy: Amazon
Ignacio Díaz Lahsen & Colectivo Los Musicantes – La Espera y el Despertar (Discos Pendiente)
There’s an appealing ethereal presence to this large ensemble session from Ignacio Díaz Lahsen & Colectivo Los Musicantes. It’s like a thick fog, moving slowly and enveloping everything within its harmonic embrace. There’s a sense that this entire project began with Lahsen composing a work for a small chamber ensemble project, but it blossomed into something that required a conductor when the vision grew more expansive and the desire to explore possibilities became too much to ignore. One such possibility is the track “En Asencia” and how it just comes right out with a big sound and lets it attain all the momentum it wants… all before settling into the thoughtful “El loco que tiraba piedras a la luna” and a motion that exhibits an unrelenting patience. Music from Santiago, Chile.
Artist site | Listen | Buy: Bandcamp – Amazon
Trichotomy – Live with String Quartet (Self-Produced)
It’s nice to see the Trichotomy trio of pianist Sean Foran, drummer John Parker and bassist Sam Vincent revisit an element of strings with their quirky modern jazz sound. Their collaboration with the chamber quintet Topology was an intriguing collision of music approaches, and led to some stunning moments. Their newest foray was recorded live at the Declassified Music Festival, the trio incorporates a string quartet, and the electricity is way more ramped up this time around. Where before it was a contemplative atmosphere, now it’s a brisk flow of melodic ideas. Also, the album is retailing at Name Your Price, so if you’re new to the music of Sean Foran, it’s a nice opportunity to dive in before you go exploring his other works. Speaking of which, I interviewed Foran for The Bandcamp Daily, and that’ll also serve as a solid primer for what else there is out there. Music from Brisbane, Australia.
Artist site | Listen | Buy: Bandcamp – Amazon
Anders Svanoe – State of the Baritone Volume 2 (Self-Produced)
Plenty enjoyable session from bari saxophonist Anders Svanoe, bassist John Christensen and drummer Rodrigo Villanueva Conroy. Nothing fancy here, just straight-ahead goodness, sometimes from an old-school perspective and sometimes with a modern touch. The sound of baritone sax is a fluid form of expression for Svanoe, and so the music stays light on its feet and keeps to a brisk pace, and the instrument’s bulky presence never gets in the way of the music’s flow… even when Svanoe decides to exploit its size advantage. When Christensen counters the baritone’s deep resonance with some bass arco, it’s an arresting moment. Music from Madison, Wisconsin.
Artist site | Listen | Buy: Bandcamp
Honeybrandy – Deaf Sharp (Harding Street Assembly Lab)
A rather haunting sound to this project from the Honeybrandy duo of Nathan McGlothlin and Joey Wright, with a detached ominous tone as if the recording studio had a window view of the cold abyss of outer space. On paper, their concoction of electronic effects and slide guitar would seem to be an imperfect match, but once it’s actually put into play, it makes a whole lot of sense. The formlessness of the electronics and how they occasionally coalesce into moments of stunning imagery presents a remarkably similar interface to the slippery melodicism of slide guitar and how its fluid motion seems endless until it glides back upon its starting point and closes the circle of a melodic vision. In guest roles, Kris Tyner and Philip Greenlief add some nice textures with wind instruments, and Chris Schlarb, naturally, via electric guitar. Music from Lynchburg, Virginia.
Artist site | Listen | Buy: Bandcamp – Amazon
Easily the best part of this gorgeous chamber jazz recording is the way in which compositions sculpt a supreme elegance while allowing improvisors the freedom to do their own thing. It blurs the lines between planned arrangement and spur-of-the-moment inspiration, and it’s why The Sweetness of Things Half-Remembered can spark with lively engagement while simultaneously crafting a structural beauty that results in one jaw-dropping moment after the next.
Jun 18 2018
The Round-up: Those times were hard
Here is some very good new music.
Eyolf Dale – Return to Mind (Edition Records)
This music dances on air. Sometimes it skips across the clouds, sometimes it soars a graceful arc high above them, and sometimes it bounces along the currents and surrenders to the will of the motion. And on Eyolf Dale‘s newest, the path to get there is full of life and activity. The pianist’s octet works the range of expressionism between modern Euro-bop and chamber, and makes the difference between the two appear as nothing, as but a single breath of imagery. Wind instruments, strings and percussion abide in equal strengths on his latest, and that balance feeds right into the music’s singular vision. There are more than a few moments on Return to Mind that stopped me from what I was doing just to marvel at their beauty. Those moments haven’t lost a bit of their power through the process of repeat listening. I don’t expect they will for you either. Music from Oslo, Norway.
Artist site | Listen | Buy: Bandcamp – Amazon
Bryan Smith – This Is Water (Self-Produced)
It’s all about the melody on the latest from Bryan Smith. The saxophonist doesn’t get fussy with those melodies. It’s all about clear lines of definition and a calm touch with their delivery. From there, his quintet with guitarist Ryan Meagher, pianist Matt Tabor, bassist Andrew Jones and drummer Jonas Oglesbee take the melody for a short drive, and the road ahead never drops off the map. There’s something comforting about seeing the entire path, and ending up where everything seemed to lead to in the first place. It’s a special kind of luxury for a listener to be able to let their guard down and simply appreciate a melody for its beauty, as if from a distance. “Are We Athletes?” adopts an upbeat tempo and a voice to match, but for the most part, this album resides in territory best suited for contemplation. That just so happens to be where the album shows its best side. It’s been a while since I listened to it, but I recall enjoying Smith’s 2011 recording See, See. Music from Portland, Oregon.
Artist site | Listen | Buy: Bandcamp – Amazon
Luis Verde Quartet – Vientos Cruzados (Self-Produced)
The immediate impression made by Viento Cruzados is that Luis Verde had a lot on his mind and wasn’t going to hold back when translating it to a sonic form of expression. At times, this sprawling work comes off as a bit disjointed, where the flow of thoughts from one to the next isn’t as fluid as one might hope. But then certain themes get revisited across the duration of fourteen tracks, and a distinct cohesion begins to emerge. And those moments when the flow converges with the prevailing imagery, the music explodes with life. The saxophonist’s quartet with pianist Moisés Sánchez, double bassist Reinier Elizarde and drummer Mark Schilders traverses ample territory, and the effect is amplified by the inclusion of several interludes. As stand-alone pieces, these interludes are intriguing in their own right, but their deft placement in the sequence of events has a resounding impact far greater than their individual traits. Music from Madrid, Spain.
Artist site | Listen | Buy: Bandcamp
Matt’s Mates – Bodies of Water (SuperSonic)
There’s an intriguing combination of solemn and lively tones on this set from Matt Luff. The saxophonist’s octet identifies John Coltrane as their guiding music spirit for this recording, and it’s pretty clear right from the start that this was no blithe namedrop. The ferocity inherent in these tunes has a benevolent presence, and the illusion of contradiction in those qualities makes the music resonate that much greater when it reveals itself, instead, as unity. Music from Brisbane, Australia.
No artist site | Listen | Buy: Bandcamp – Amazon
Kastenfaul – Kastenfaul (Self-Produced)
The Kastenfaul duo of saxophonist Ali Onur Olgun and drummer Ozan Aktuna is pure gasoline. They light their music on fire and laugh while fanning the flames. It’s as simple as that. It’s also that thrilling. This two-track EP retails at Name Your Price, so a nice opportunity to explore some new, obscure music at a price that fits your budget. Music from Istanbul, Turkey.
No artist site | Listen | Buy: Bandcamp
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By davesumner • Jazz Recommendations - 2018 • 0 • Tags: Brisbane (Australia), Bryan Smith, Edition Records, Eyolf Dale, Istanbul (Turkey), Kastenfaul, Luis Verde, Madrid (Spain), Matt's Mates, Oslo, Portland, Self-Produced, Supersonic, The Round-Up