Self-Produced

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

 

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May 16 2018

You won’t attain a true state of peacefulness on “Lawaii,” and that appears to be exactly how this trio wants it

 

The subtlety of the music from the trio LAWAAI extends far past the Dutch translation of their name to ‘noise.’  The expectation would be music that is loud and disruptive.  Their self-titled EP Lawaai meets only the latter half of that expectation.  The fabric of this recording is peacefulness.  The environment is one where tranquility would seem likely to thrive.  But the trio of pianist Kamil Piotrowicz, bassist Stan Callewaert and drummer Jeppe Høi Justesen spend the length of the recording creating tiny disturbances that ripple throughout the six pieces, instigating a sense of unease that never allows that tranquility to fully take hold.  Sometimes it’s the slow, steady droplets of melody of “Glacier” and sometimes it’s a brisk downpour, like on the hypnotic “#5,” and there is a moment on “#10” when the simmering tension threatens to boil over.

But it never does.  Maintaining a sense of peacefulness while utilizing dissonance as the main ingredient is walking a razor’s edge.  LAWAAI navigates that path with remarkable ease, and it’s a major reason for this album’s success.

A very compelling album.

Your album personnel:  Kamil Piotrowicz (piano), Stan Callewaert (bass) and Jeppe Høi Justesen (drums).

The album is Self-Produced.

Listen to more of the album on the artist’s Bandcamp page.

Music from Copenhagen, Denmark.

Available at:  Bandcamp

Also, it worth pointing out that the bassist, Stan Callewaert, put out an excellent recording with his Donder trio.  If you like Lawaai, you should definitely check out Still.

 

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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

 

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Apr 18 2018

I can’t stop listening to this EP from Libertad’s Ernesto

 

Somsoc sounds like it’s perpetually phasing between expressions.  There’s some surf guitar action and some fierce metal stomping, a cheerful bounce of indie-rock that segues from an equally cheerful folk, a hazy psychedelic space-jazz and a twitchy soul-jazz that shakes and shivers and sighs, and it all kind of flows in a haphazard fashion that lends it plenty of charm.

Ernesto is comprised of three string instruments and drums, and while the melodic implications ultimately manifest in a breathless display of melodicism, it’s the groove that reflects the album’s strength as well as the primary source of Somsoc’s fun.

Anyways, I just wanted to give this album a quick shout-out.  I’m certain it flew under the radar.  Hopefully this helps a bit.  Three bucks gets you three tracks and thirteen minutes of cool music.

Your album personnel:  Matías Giménez (guitar), Ismael Barbé (drums), José Romero Ottonello (bass, cello) and Mario Roldós (violin).

The album is Self-Produced.

Music from Libertad, Uruguay.

Listen to more of the album at the artist’s Bandcamp page.

Available at:  Bandcamp

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Mar 26 2018

The Round-up: It was Sunday night and warm light filled the room as darkness sat outside the window and watched

 

Here is some very good new music.

 

Danny Fox Trio – The Great Nostalgist (Hot Cup Records)

Thoughtfulness at high speeds, of notes hanging in the air even when the space between them is ever so slight.  That’s the lingering impression made on this straight-ahead session from the trio of pianist Danny Fox, bassist Chris van Voorst and drummer Max Goldman.  The brisk pace never gets in the way of an articulate voicing of melody or its eventual development into an engrossing conversation.  This session is in the mold of a standard modern piano trio recording, but the little turns of phrase and keen modulations of pacing have the great impact of raising things up to something outside the accepted archetype.  Those nuanced differences are one way to make cerebral music extroverted and fun.

Artist site | Buy:  Amazon

 

Wooley/Dumoulin/Flaten/Verbruggen – kaPSalon (Ratrecords)

“This music,” Buster Keaton, reincarnated, would announce. “It will be the soundtrack for my next silent film.”  And why not?  This live performance recording by trumpeter Nate Wooley, pianist Jozef Dumoulin, double bassist Ingebrigt Håker Flaten and percussionist Teun Verbruggen is all about emoting through motion.  Idiosyncratic and volatile as hell, the music signifies the personality quirks of characters and their physical manifestations… the relation of many things that defy the need for words.  And though wholly avant-garde in nature, the blues and jazz bubble up to the surface frequently and at just the right moments, making a resolute statement that this wild, untamed music willingly tethers itself loosely to music of the past.

Artist site | Listen | Buy:  Bandcamp – Amazon

 

Tamaya Honda – ICTUS Trio (Song X Jazz)

Much in that way Paul Motian could imply the whisper of a hurricane during the recitation of a lullaby, the trio of drummer Tamaya Honda, bassist Takashi Sugawa and pianist Koichi Sato establish an appealing balance between serenity and volatility.  This modern piano trio recording is perfect for a rainy day, and that means for when it’s a torrential downpour or when the comforting patter of raindrops soothes the soul.  The Motian comparison isn’t happenstance.  This album is dedicated to Masabumi Kikuchi, a pianist who thrived in exactly this kind of environment, and, logically, collaborated with Motian himself on a number of recordings.  Carla Bley compositions comprise nearly half of the album tracks, which adds an interesting quality, as does Sugawa switching over to cello.  Music from Tokyo.

Artist site | Listen | Buy:  Bandcamp

 

Ed Jones – For Your Ears Only (Impossible Ark)

There’s something particularly resonant about this straight-ahead release from Ed Jones.  Perhaps it’s the beautifully crafted melodies or perhaps it’s how the saxophonist’s quartet keeps referencing it as the pace and distance from its introduction increases, and maybe it’s the way a patient exhalation of the melody contrasts with a galloping tempo.  But whatever the reason, this is one of those albums that sparkles like stars with each volley of notes, each turn of phrase, each expression of melody.  Pianist Ross Stanley, bassist Riann Vosloo and drummer Tim Giles round out the quartet, plus a guest spot from vocalist Brigitte Beraha.  Music from London.

Artist site | Listen | Buy:  Bandcamp – Amazon

 

The Housewarming Project – at_home/at_play (Self-Produced)

There’s a special kind of chemistry to the trio of pianist Jeremy Siskind, vocalist Nancy Harms and multi-reedist Lucas Pino.  There’s a sense of musicians fated to come together because it was willed by elemental forces.  Their 2012 release Finger-Songwriter was one of the very best things to come out that year, and since that time, the trio has released another recording and been on a dedicated tour of living room shows.  Their new release compiles some of the moments from those shows, and it displays that the magic conjured up by the three is nowhere even close to waning.  Harms’s smoky delivery is a perfect match to Pino’s languid expressions of melody, especially when he switches over to bass clarinet.  On piano, Siskind’s accompaniment is almost reverential.  It all plays out like moonlight on a small patch of earth, where everything inside the beams seems more alive than anything else on the planet and nobody wants to move or speak for fear of breaking the spell of enchantment.

Artist site | Listen | Buy:  Bandcamp

 

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