Dec 30 2017
Best of 2017 #04: Nicole Mitchell – “Mandorla Awakening II: Emerging Worlds” (FPE Records)
Nicole Mitchell was already recognized as existing in a state of creativity somewhat outside common territory. Her recorded and performance history have been primary movers of how music is shaped in this new century. And yet even comprehending that isn’t sufficient preparation for Mandorla Awakening II: Emerging Worlds. Her Afrofuturist project is a dream, a story, a recording, a political statement and societal aspiration. Avant-garde, soul jazz, blues, modern jazz, classical, spoken word, gospel, rock are just some of the residents of this sonic city, whose story unfolds over the course of ten pieces. It’s sometimes chaotic, sometimes hopeful, sometimes at peace, and so much more of it triggering ineffable emotional reactions lying somewhere in between. Mitchell stepped up with a massive vision, and delivered it in a way that is as compelling as it is enjoyable. This easily could’ve been the album of the year.
Music from Chicago.
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This album crackles with an electricity that sounds like laughter, feels like euphoria and lights up the room with a jolt of beauty. Le Vanneau Huppé is so full of life, it barely is able to contain itself. Thankfully, Collectif SPATULE doesn’t even bother trying. And in that same way a smile can transmit a wealth of information, so too does the music of this Nantes-based nonet. The transcendent cheerfulness doesn’t obscure the whip-smart complexities at the heart of the music, of how a strong folkloric quality is the launching point for a series of melodic diversions, and how the accent on strings with harp, acoustic guitar, cello and double bass adds rich harmonic textures to those already set in place by saxophones and voices. There’s so much going on at times, the music threatens to run away… but only to the point where it remains alluringly close, close enough to hurriedly catch up. And the resulting spikes in intensity amplify what is already a highly-charged atmosphere. This is an album with a magnetic personality, and one of the most fascinating recordings of 2017.
Marco Santilli released two albums in 2017, and both deserved a slot in this year’s Best of 2017. The clarinetist’s concoction of chamber, jazz and folk accentuates the dramtic beauty of a simple melody, and patiently illustrates how a universe of possibilities exist within the nuance of each. The engaging La Stüa saw Santilli’s CheRoba ensemble joined by il Fiato delle Alpi for a performance recorded live at Musikinsel, Rheinau in Switzerland. It came heavy with the chamber influence, but also with the intensity, and so the album was a potent mix of introspection and liveliness. With L’occhio della betulla, Santilli took his CheRoba ensemble of 12-string guitarist Lorenzo Frizzera, pianist Ivan Tibolla and percussionist Fulvio Maras into the recording studio, with many of the same compositions as La Stüa, but with a completely different result. These are tranquil pieces. They bubble with life and resonate with daydream imagery, and there’s a certain majesty to how this music fills up a room. The balance between jazz, folk and chamber is more evenly distributed, and the transitions between states of primacy are as effortless and smooth as the changing of tides. And while it exhibits many of the same complexities as its 2017 counterpart, L’occhio della betulla simmers with a brooding passion that hints at a power that could obliterate mountains. This is the most beautiful thing to see the light of day in 2017.
The very first recommendation of the very first column I wrote in 2017 for The Bandcamp Daily stated It’s too early in the year to be saying things like “this is the best thing I’ve heard all year”… but this is the best thing I’ve heard all year. The album I was speaking of was Dusty Shelters by the Anne Quillier 6tet. And as we crawl to the final days of 2017, it turns out that it was true all along. This album is one of the very best things I’ve heard all year. There’s a poetry to the way each piece reveals itself, and the path is marked by all kinds of little surprises and colorful displays of lyricism. There’s an electricity to this music that’s as charged as the blood coursing through our veins, a subtle nod to the life-affirming power of music and the unabashed joy of creating it. 2017 was a very strong year for the modern jazz scene. Dusty Shelters has been Exhibit A all year long.
Dec 30 2017
Best of 2017 #03: Brooklyn Raga Massive – “Coltrane Raga Tribute” (Self-Produced)
Music from Brooklyn.
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By davesumner • Jazz Recommendations - 2017 releases • 0 • Tags: Brooklyn (NY), Brooklyn Raga Massive, Jazz - Best of 2017, Self-Produced