Apr 16 2018
The Round-up: Because there is always hope
Here is some very good new music.
Owen Broder – Heritage (ArtistShare)
This album is a beam of sunlight. From the opening notes, it greets you with warm tones, chipper tempos and melodies like a wide smile. Owen Broder bounces around between various early-American music forms, differentiating a bit here and there, but overall keeping things fluid by focusing on the commonalities that suggest at how everything is connected. And it’s an interesting point of comparison to Broder’s Cowboys & Frenchmen ensemble, which hits upon works and expressions more akin to the modern scene. It’s a nice cast joining Broder and his woodwinds: violinist Sara Caswell, pianist Frank Kimbrough, drummer Matt Wilson, trombonist Nick Finzer, vibraphonist James Shipp, trumpeter Scott Wendholt, and bassist Jay Anderson. Wendy Gilles, Kate McGarry and Vuyo Sotashe add some vocals in a guest role. Music from NYC.
Artist site | Buy: Amazon
Janczarski & McCraven Quintet – Liberator (For-Tune)
If you’re out browsing the new release section and looking for something that hits your soul with a classic Hard Bop warmth and easy groove, then this session from the Janczarski & McCraven Quintet will definitely float your boat. There’s some moments that shift into a modern form of expression, but, hey, the musicians live in today not 1965, so that’s gonna happen from time to time. But when the Sunday night blues descend upon you, and you’re needing something to cheer things back up, hit the play button on Liberator. Music from Warsaw, Poland.
Artist site | Listen | Buy: Bandcamp – Amazon
Meyer/Slavin/Meyer/Black – Other Animal (Traumton)
There’s an appealing melodic flow to Other Animal that is as much indebted to ambient indie-rock music as it is the type of jazz that makes its home in European alpine mountain ranges. The driving force of this quartet’s melodic focus is through the delicate forces of pressure from an active rhythmic attack… one that’s defined by its flurries and crosscurrents of percussion, but one whose touch is more that of a cool breeze on a summer day than a thunderstorm downpour. The quartet is comprised of guitarist Peter Meyer, alto saxophonist Wanja Slavin, bassist Bernhard Meyer and drummer Jim Black. They settle into a particular sound and spend the entire album exploring its nuances. Music from Berlin, Germany.
Artist site | Listen | Buy: Bandcamp – Amazon
Gaute Storsve Trio – Attention: This Is Not A Toy, For Adult Collectors Only (Ellingsongs)
This personable album is the amalgamation of post-bop, modern European jazz and Cuban music. The result is a delightful melody bouncing over the surface of a cheerful groove. There’s an insistent sense that the trio of guitarist Gaute Storsve, bassist Petter Barg and drummer Henning Carlsen want to incite the listener into dance… or at least get the foot tapping along with the tempo and etch the melody into a memory. It works, especially when the trio brings in a brass section to expand the textural options. Music from Oslo, Norway.
Artist site | Listen | Buy: Bandcamp – Amazon
Trillmann – FŒN (Tangible Music)
There’s a quirky personality to this recording from the quartet Trillmann. Saxophonist Fabian Willmann, trombonist Janning Trumann, bassist Florian Herzog and drummer Eva Klesse develop tunes with a punchy attitude and a sly sense of humor. Melodies hint at something addictive, but then get warped and misshapen, and become more of a cerebral exercise than the emotional reaction they initially promised. There’s an appealing quality to that sleight-of-hand. Music from NYC.
Artist site | Listen | Buy: Bandcamp
This music is about water. It’s also about dreams. Were that not stated up front, it wouldn’t really have mattered. The nebulous presence of Somewhere Glimmer would’ve inspired imagery of a similar, ethereal nature. The melodies twist and rise like plumes of smoke… or perhaps rivulets of water breaking free from the pool and searching out new directions, or just the hallucination of one. It all comes back to the same place.
The latest from the 
May 21 2018
The Round-up: Shards from the past cut through the hours of our days
Here is some very good new music.
Zion80 – Warriors (Chant Records)
There’s a joyfulness to this music that leaves its mark. Zion80 grooves heavy and hard, but there’s never a time the music doesn’t stay light on its feet. It’s easy to see why Jon Madof‘s dectet was such a nice fit in John Zorn’s Book of Angels series… the ensemble can work subtle shifts between influences without causing even a ripple of disturbance in the rhythmic chatter. The melodies of Warriors are like beaming smiles, full of warmth and friendliness. Mysticism is a pretty big deal in the modern Zorn songbook, but it’s something that Zion80 clearly had in their back pocket before those sessions began. There’s a spirituality that bleeds out of tunes designed for letting loose on the weekend, and that Zion80 doesn’t appear to view that as a contradiction is likely the reason for the music’s success and why it comes off as so damn genuine. Ensemble members saxophonist Jessica Lurie and pianist Brian Marsella are just two of the names familiar to this site. Music from NYC.
Artist site | Listen | Buy: Bandcamp – Amazon
Tim Daisy’s Fulcrum Ensemble – Animation (Relay Recordings)
It can’t be easy navigating a path that attempts to be wide open and modern and free while also drawing thick lines tracing back to jazz in its early stages of life. This inside-out recording from Tim Daisy’s Fulcrum Ensemble is wild and effusive, and sometimes it echoes the swinging affairs from New Orleans past and sometimes it explodes in an avant-garde fury reminiscent of New York City loft scene of the seventies. But in every instance, there’s a strong presence of the modern day, that the form of expression is always focused through the lens of musicians who know exactly where their feet stand and that they breathe the air of today. But aside from matters of influence and style, what matters most is that this music is supremely fun. Its unpredictability is manifest even when the sound is something intimately familiar. Clarinetist James Falzone, trombonist Steve Swell, cornetist Josh Berman, cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm and saxophonist Dave Rempis all leave their mark on this excellent recording. It’s always difficult for me to get to all of the music out there and still meet my submission deadlines, and that’s the only reason this wasn’t one of my Best of Bandcamp Jazz recommendations when this album was released. Don’t be surprised if it makes an appearance in a later column. Music from Chicago.
Artist site | Listen | Buy: Bandcamp
Menagerie – The Arrow of Time (Freestyle Records)
Menagerie‘s updated soul jazz is like the first day of Spring after a long winter. The music’s melodic warmth and cheerful grooves are a signal to emerge from a state of hibernation and set to motion. Lance Ferguson‘s ensemble steps up with a big sound, but its presence is laid-back casual. That seeming contradiction between potential force and resultant calm creates its own form of tension, and thus a special kind of beauty… like when storm clouds gather overhead, but it never rains and a streak of sunlight is allowed to shine through unimpeded. Fallon Williams adds a nice spoken word touch on the opening track. If you liked their 2012 release They Shall Inherit, their newest will also float your boat. Music from Melbourne, Australia.
Artist site | Listen | Buy: Bandcamp – Amazon
MABUTA – Welcome To This World (Self-Produced)
This debut from MABUTA is a nice example of how doing something a little bit different doesn’t necessarily have to be an obstacle to creating supremely embraceable music. The sextet’s mix of South African jazz and contemporary electronic music is all kinds of friendly and forges a strong connection, even as it simultaneously creates an environment that sparks an introspective reaction. The core group of bassist Shane Cooper, guitarist Reza Khota, pianist Bokani Dyer, tenor saxophonist Sisonke Xonti, drummer Marlon Witbooi and trumpeter Robin Fassie-Kock get some solid assistance from an array of guest musicians… notably saxophonists Shabaka Hutchings (who has got to have a ton of frequent flier miles for all the guest spots he’s been up for lately) and Buddy Wells (who lights the album up on his guest spot). Also in a guest role, Tlale Makhene demonstrates that percussion is another form of electricity. Music from Cape Town, South Africa.
Artist site | Listen | Buy: Bandcamp – Amazon
Yves Arques & Miguel Crozzoli – Drops of Sun (Nendo Dango Records)
The tension ranges from simmering to explosive on this duo outing from pianist Yves Arques and saxophonist Miguel Crozzoli. Passages of silence are just as fearful as the unleashing of sonic fury… and just as enchanting. Arques adds some melodic textures, either by preparing his piano or keeping a bit of odd percussion nearby. There are moments of extreme focus when the music becomes an immersive experience. Music from Paris & Buenos Aires.
Artist site | Listen | Buy: Bandcamp
Like this:
By davesumner • Jazz Recommendations - 2018 • 0 • Tags: Buenos Aires, Capetown (South Africa), Chant Records, Chicago, Freestyle Records, MABUTA, Melbourne, Menagerie, Miguel Crozzoli, Nendo Dango Records, New York City, Paris, Relay Recordings, Self-Produced, The Round-Up, Tim Daisy, Yves Arques, Zion80