Todd Sickafoose

Feb 14 2020

Best of 2019 #07: Allison Miller’s Boom Tic Boom – “Glitter Wolf”

 

With 2016’s Otis Was A Polar Bear, Allison Miller opened a new door.  The drummer’s career to that point was not constricted to just one sound, or solely one territory.  A machine-gun style of post-bop or a conversant chatter of pop music accompaniment or a straight-ahead swing were all part of her repertoire, and the combination of versatility and individualism distinguished Miller as one of the top drummers on the scene.  But her 2016 recording, inspired by and dedicated to her new child, was something truly brand new… and unexpected.  Eliciting the imagery of a childhood fairy tale and powered by a potent dose of surreal melodicism, that recording was a series of magical pieces, all standalone gems in their own right, but made even more electrified when absorbed in its totality as a narrative-driven story.  Arguably, it could’ve been named the 2016 album of the year.  2019’s Glitter Wolf builds on that foundation, and the story just keeps growing more fantastic with each new piece.  And, arguably, it could easily be considered for the top spot in 2019.

Your album personnel:  Allison Miller (drums), Jenny Scheinman (violin), Kirk Knuffke (cornet), Ben Goldberg (clarinet), Todd Sickafoose (bass), and Myra Melford (piano).

Released on Royal Potato Family.

Music from New York City.

I wrote about the album for The Bandcamp Daily.

Listen | Read more | Available at:  Bandcamp – Amazon

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Jan 26 2020

Best of 2019 #39: Ila Cantor – “Encanto”

 

The beguiling new release from Ila Cantor may fall in the middle of this year’s Best Of list, but it ranks right near the top as one of the prettiest recordings of 2019.  The guitarist’s seamless union of folk music and chamber jazz is like mainlining moonlight on a clear night.  There is an immaculate tunefulness to these pieces, the kind of inherent catchiness one would associate with a perfect pop song.  But in that way a world of sound emerges from the blank slate of a dark, country field, the guitarist balances the tuneful simplicity with a rich display of details and complexity.  Her use of charango and acoustic guitar amplify that richness of sound, as does collaborating with an all-star lineup of West Coast talent.  John Zorn’s The Dreamers ensemble is known (and loved) for projecting melodic dimensions as deep as the ocean and taller than the sky; Ila Cantor’s Encanto is irrefutable evidence that she possesses the exact same talent.

Your album personnel:  Ila Cantor (charango, acoustic guitar, voice), Ben Goldberg (clarinet), Rob Reich (accordion, glockenspiel), Todd Sickafoose (upright bass), Scott Amendola (drums, percussion), and guests:  Lauren Arrow (background vocals) and Phil Lewis (guitar).

Released on Slow & Steady Records.

Music from San Francisco Bay Area (CA).

Listen | Read more | Available at:  Bandcamp | Amazon

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Jan 11 2019

Best of 2018 #28: SLUGish Ensemble – “An Eight Out Of Nine”

 

Steven Lugerner really needs to be not so under-the-radar anymore.  His audacious double-album debut in 2011 received mention on this site’s inaugural Best Of list, and since then, the multi-reedist has shown no limit to his expressionism, whether it be channeling a classic hard bop sound, creating avant-garde pieces based on religious text, exploring melodic possibilities with a dedication that rivals that of the Brian Blade Fellowship, instilling a pop tune approach to a modern jazz trio, experimenting at the crossroads of habit & improvisation, and, now, his SLUGish Ensemble and their fascinating rearrangements of modern pop tunes.  The details reign supreme on this recording, because even though his ensemble unleashes a big sound that lets the melody ring clear, this sonic gem is best appreciated by the unending sparkle of its facets and how the melody reflects off each curve, bend, and sharp edge.  Jazz has an interesting legacy of taking pop tunes, and by rearranging them for jazz performance, revealing aspects not even hinted at by the original compositions.  Lugerner has made an excellent addition to that music legacy.

Released on Slow & Steady Records.

I wrote about the album for The Bandcamp Daily.  And be sure to check back in there, because my interview of Lugerner should be posting any day now.

Music from San Francisco, CA.

Available at:  Bandcamp | Amazon

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Jan 5 2019

Best of 2018 #42: Jessica Lurie – “Long Haul”

 

Jessica Lurie exists in a very centered place on Long Haul.  Her wry lyricism comes through strong as ever, but the fluid, almost casual way she navigates a transitive path between genres, while never having to shift her balance gives the impression of music orbiting an artist who sits at the center of all things creative.  Previous Lurie recordings have expressed a more distinct point of view, but none to this point have so strongly reflected the cumulative assimilation of those perspectives.

Released on Chant Records.

Read more on Bird is the Worm.

Music from Brooklyn, NY.

Available at:  Bandcamp | Amazon

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