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
On Eternal Stories, bassist Michel Portal is joined by drummer Richard Héry, keyboardist Xavier Tribolet and the string quartet Quatuor Ébène. Their method of blending jazz and classical is one of the more amazing examples of third stream music that I’ve encountered in some time. The kaleidoscopic array of expressions is endless, tiny permutations that resonate like mad, both individually and through sheer accumulation. They also add in some tango, some electro-groove, sometimes go heavier with the modern jazz and sometimes go strong with the classical and sometimes it all gets broken down into an eerie dissonance that no genre can lay claim to. The effect is often quite stunning, and it just reaffirms some of the reasons why Michel Portal is a big site-favorite. Simply outstanding.
Jul 9 2018
The Round-up: And there was no fooling myself about where exactly I stood
Here is some very good new music.
Jeremy Pelt – Noir en Rouge: Live in Paris (HighNote Records)
You can’t go wrong with this live set from Jeremy Pelt and his quintet. Recorded at Paris’s Sunside/Sunset Jazz Club, the trumpeter brings plenty of that live performance electricity to the recorded medium. It’s pure straight-ahead goodness, both from an old-school and new-school point of view. Pelt’s quintet is solid, with bassist Vicente Archer, drummer Jonathan Barber, percussionist Jacquelene Acevedo and (personal favorite) pianist Victor Gould. The thrills are immediate when Pelt ramps up the voltage, but the serious heat gets delivered when the quintet slows things down and patiently emotes on “I Will Wait For You.” That feel is evident in every note, and that’s why each one gives the strong impression of serious and sincere meaning. Music from Paris via NYC.
Artist site | Buy: Amazon
Ksawery Wójciński & Wojciech Jachna - Conversation With Space (Fundacja Słuchaj!)
The duo of Ksawery Wójciński & Wojciech Jachna are hypnotic like the storming sea. Waves of dissonance comes crashing down and the spray of rain sometimes cuts across the face like glass and sometimes it cools the brow. Turbulence shakes every note and every step forward is unsteady and perilous. But there is a peacefulness inherent in that furious environment, when the senses grasp the entirety of the ocean rather than focusing on the individual waves and lightning and raindrops… and how everything is connected and moves with the patience of a planet rotating through time. The bassist and trumpeter embody this sensation on their compelling Conversation With Space. And sometimes, when they enter the eye of the storm, there’s a melodic tranquility that is damn near addictive and will make you never want to leave. Excellent stuff here. Music from Warsaw, Poland.
Artist site | Listen | Buy: Bandcamp
Paul Bedal – Mirrors (Bace Records)
It’s the little things that make the difference on the new recording from Paul Bedal. It’s the way in which trumpeter Jean Caze and alto saxophonist Caroline Davis suddenly come together from their separate flight patterns. It’s how the twittering undercurrent of bassist Dion Kerr suddenly makes its presence felt in that way the cadence of grass resonates on a sun-kissed afternoon. It’s where the conversational manner of drummer Matt Carroll falls into the stream of dialog struck up by Bedal’s melodic voicing on piano. This is your standard straight-ahead modern jazz session, and all of these little things endow it with an individuality that is quite striking. And enjoyable… plenty enjoyable, too. Music from Chicago.
Artist site | Listen | Buy: Bandcamp – Amazon
Fabrice Sotton – The Time Has Come (Self-Produced)
Fabrice Sotton has got a feel on piano that makes the simplest melodies resonate like mad, and only requires the gentlest coaxing to set them into motion. This solo set is just more evidence at how little difference there is between a pretty melody and flickering candlelight when the pianist is in a mood to conjure up some imagery. Need some music for a peaceful Sunday morning that possesses the liveliness of leaves fluttering in the breeze just outside your window? If yes (and who doesn’t?), then download this album. Music from Paris.
Artist site | Listen | Buy: Amazon
Marc Sarrazy & Laurent Rochelle – Chansons Pour L’oreille Gauche (Linoleum Records)
There’s a potent chemistry activated when clarinetist Laurent Rochelle and pianist Marc Sarrazy collaborate. It transforms succinct melodic visions into wildly blossoming imagery, and makes elastic the sense of time in which they evolve into their final shape and form. Their enchanting 2017 release Intranquillité is a prelude to more of the same on their latest creation. When Rochelle switches over to bass clarinet, the inherent moodiness becomes like magic unleashed. It’s a similar effect when Sarrazy utilizes a prepared piano, though this personality trait reveals itself in the subtle effects on melody and how fragile it can appear even at its strongest articulation. Some additional textures are arrive via guest strings and percussion, and most especially the vocals of Anja Kowalski and echoes of the OKIDOKI Quartet project. Music from Toulouse, France.
Artist site | Listen | Buy: Bandcamp
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By davesumner • Jazz Recommendations - 2018 • 0 • Tags: Bace Records, Chicago, Fabrice Sotton, Fundacja Słuchaj!, HighNote Records, Jeremy Pelt, Ksawery Wójciński, Laurent Rochelle, Linoleum Records, Marc Sarrazy, New York City, Paris, Paul Bedal, Self-Produced, The Round-Up, Toulouse (France), Wojciech Jachna