Dec 24 2017
Best of 2017 #26: Miles Okazaki – “Trickster” (Pi Recordings)
The music of Trickster possesses a strange and curious interface, as if a self-replicating alien language perpetually on the verge of translating itself into human words. The newest album from Miles Okazaki is driven by rhythmic forces that shape the melodies into their ultimate form, and the impression is that among the guitarist’s quartet of drummer Sean Rickman, bassist Anthony Tidd and pianist Craig Taborn, no one person is excluded from the opportunity to impose their will upon that motion. The result is a passive kind of addiction, where the album’s charismatic personality keeps the ear locked in place until the translation is complete, and what once seemed alien and strange becomes as welcome and familiar as a loved one saying hello.
Music from NYC.
Read more at Bird is the Worm.
The evolution of Diego Barber’s fusion of classical and jazz shows no sign of slowing down, nor does the fascination it generates reflect any sign of dwindling. Over the course of five albums, the guitarist has incorporated electronic, avant-garde and folk into his heady mix of classical music and various forms of bop, post- or otherwise. Percussionist Alejandro Coello and his use of vibraphone and marimba is an especially positive addition. That said, the way bassist Ben Williams and drummer Eric Harland cast a rhythmic spell over a track like “Jacaranda” to give the illusory effect of electronic dance music on a session using only organic instruments is pretty damn amazing. In a modern jazz landscape that is as diverse as it ever was, Diego Barber has developed a sound that differentiates itself from the herd, while simultaneously situating itself as a territory that others could gravitate toward. One Minute Later is yet more evidence of it.
There’s some seriously vivid imagery on Kinfolk: Postcards from Everywhere, and the way it’s presented as snapshots of a story instead of a running narrative makes the music resonate that much stronger. Nate Smith is, in fact, telling a story on his 2017 release, and his fortuitous decision to focus it through the lenses of his bandmates (and various guests) gives that story a detached, ethereal presence, as if recollections told through shared dreams. And so the modern jazz and soul and contemporary groove and folk and old-school ballads and string sections all sort of coalesce into a blurry haze at the same time the immediate moment is snapping into focus. The phase in and out of contradictions and states of unison drives this music, even when it’s laid back and easy-going. That’s no small thing. Also not to be undervalued is the supreme enjoyment gained from simply sitting back and hearing that story pour on out.
Dec 24 2017
Best of 2017 #23: Tyshawn Sorey – “Verisimilitude” (Pi Recordings)
Music from NYC.
Read more on Bird is the Worm.
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By davesumner • Recap: Best of 2017 • 0 • Tags: Jazz - Best of 2017, New York City, Pi Recordings, Tyshawn Sorey