Underpool Music

Jan 19 2020

Best of 2019 #65: Iago Aguado – “Festina Lente”

 

This is rainy day music that retained some of the sunlight that preceded it.  This is rainy day music that respects how the streaks of lightning and grumbles of thunder are equal contributors to the serene ambiance of the gentle patter of rain hitting the window sill.  Iago Aguado achieves all of these perspectives by matching languorous cadences with melodies that bend like light, melt like wax.  There’s liveliness to balance out the introspective tones, and a tuneful catchiness to keep the contemplation reined in.  David Soler’s pedal steel adds tons of character, and Joana Gomila’s vocal contributions frame the instrumental pieces, as if two sides of the same picture.  This is music for lazy days, and for busy days to make them seem a little calmer than they are.

Your album personnel:  Iago Aguado (guitar), David Soler (pedal steel), Joana Gomila (vocals), Miguel Villar (tenor sax), David Mengual (double bass), and Oriol Roca (drums).

Released on Underpool Music.

Music from Barcelona, Spain.

I wrote about this album for The Bandcamp Daily.

Listen | Read more | Available at:  Bandcamp

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May 11 2019

Now up: April’s Best Jazz on Bandcamp recommendations

 

And here we go. Brace yourselves, music listeners, because my latest Best Jazz on Bandcamp recommendations just posted on The Bandcamp Daily.  The newest monthly installment covers albums for April 2019.  There’s ten recommendations in total, plus some bonus recommendations, to boot.  There’s been no let-up on the deluge of new music in 2019, so if you were thinking about maybe settling into a prior month’s purchases, forget about it… you’ve got more excellent new music to discover.  On that note, let’s begin.

Follow this LINK to read those recommendations and listen to music from each album.

And check out past recommendations by running through the archives.

Have fun going through the list!

Cheers.

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Mar 8 2019

Album of the Day: Peter Fields – “Tesoro”

 

Artist:  Peter Fields

Album:  Tesoro

Label:  Underpool Music

Style:  Jazz folk

Favorite Track: “A Caballo”

Music from:  Barcelona, Spain

What I like about it:  I like how this music cuts the difference between a late-90s Bill Frisell jazz country and an Ennio Morricone soundtrack.  The quartet of two guitarists, a bassist and drummer who go by the name of Peter Fields go all-in on their melodies, letting them be both the introduction and driving force of each tune.  I like how the quartet keeps things simple, letting complexity unfold under cover of nuance, and never becoming a distraction from the trajectory of a particular melodic inspiration.  This is music for kicking back after a long week, the kind of music that can incite thick daydreams or a soothing self-awareness that nothing is immune to the comforting qualities of good music.

Your album personnel:  Pedro Campos (double bass), Enric Peinado (electric guitar, effects), Jordi Bastida (electric guitar, effects) and Jose Benítez (drums).

Available at:  Amazon | Bandcamp

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

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Jan 11 2019

Best of 2018 #27: Marc Cuevas – “Carta Blanca”

 

Easily one of the most intriguing albums of 2018 is the electro-acoustic Carta Blanca from Marc Cuevas.  It’s not a union of electronic and organic elements and it’s not a battle of the wills… instead it comes off more like peaceful cohabitation, as in that way a thick fog falls away as the ship cuts through it.  Sometimes the electronics obscure a trumpet’s cry of melody until it suddenly breaks into view, and sometimes the motion of a modern piano work keeps the electronics in a perpetual state of dissipation… except for those moments that the quartet chooses for it to rise up within a brief moment of silence.  I am endlessly fascinated with this recording.

Released on Underpool Music.

I wrote about the album for The Bandcamp Daily.

Music from Barcelona, Spain.

Available at:  Bandcamp | Amazon

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Sep 3 2018

The Round-up: We grew up believing in lightning strikes of good luck

 

Here is some very good new music.

 

Dustlights – In a Stillness (Ropeadope)

Candlelight is the dominant imagery induced by the sound of Dustlights.  The trio’s pulsing drone possesses a hypnotic effect of flickering flame, and its distant warmth is suggestive of a tiny heat burning bright.  Saxophonist Joe Wilson, drummer David Christian and bassist Ran Livneh make judicious use of electronic effects, and its harmonic influence is the sign of its strength.  Every now and then, I field a “what next” question, both for people looking to get into modern jazz and those just looking for similar music to explore.  If Portishead is the foundation of that what-next question, then Dustlights would make a fine answer.  They’ve got just enough post-jazz in their delivery to make it an easy crossover from ambient rock tastes.  Fans of Nik Bartsch’s Ronin should also be paying close attention here.  Music from Brooklyn, NY.

Artist site | Listen | Buy:  Bandcamp – Amazon

 

Alex Lefaivre Quartet – Yul (Multiple Chord Music)

This is wholly modern post-bop jazz, but there is something very old-school about Yul.  It’s like those classic Blue Note recordings where nothing groundbreaking was going down, but everything about the music was exciting.  Because if you get four musicians together who know how to trade volleys and honor a well-crafted melody when its presented them, and have as much fun comping a solo as they do riding one off to the horizon, well, it’s an electrical jolt that keeps you hitting the play button.  Bassist Alex Lefaivre gets that done on Yul, along with drummer Mark Nelson, guitarist Nicolas Ferron and an exceptional contribution from alto saxophonist Erik Hove.  Everyone sounds like they walked into the recording studio feeling at their best and ready to light things up.  Music from Montreal, Québec.

Artist site | Listen | Buy:  Bandcamp – Amazon

 

Toni Saigi Tronik – La prinsire de la Sal (Underpool)

There’s a nice flow of electricity on this 50s bop throwback recording from pianist Toni Siagi, saxophonist Jaume Ferrer, bassist Marc Cuevas and drummer Carlos Falanga.  The music swings and it scoots along, and its cheery, upbeat tone is infectious as hell.  With its peculiar emphases rolling out the melody on “L’Anell que no tinc,” a clear Monk influence is drawn out, but it’s just one example of the different expressions a classic bop can elicit… and on his debut, Siagi hits on many of them.  Nothing here not to like.  Music from Badalona, Spain.

No artist site | Listen | Buy:  Bandcamp – Amazon

 

Peter Evans – Peter Evans Group (Self-Produced)

Really what makes this recording crackle with energy is its combination of a thick blues and a noir ambiance.  This is standard post-bop modern jazz, but those two elements give it a life that is something more than standard stuff.  Distinctive melodies are like a door held wide open to the rest of the song, and even when a soloist takes the tune out in unexpected direction, those melodies light the way back home to the opening theme.  This is Peter Evans‘ debut, and it’s a strong opening statement.  His quintet is a nice example of music coming out of Melbourne, Australia.

No artist site | Listen | Buy:  Bandcamp – Amazon

 

Maxi Caballero – I Could See For Miles (Self-Produced)

I’ve really been enjoying this nifty modern jazz guitar recording.  Maxi Caballero brings a couple different approaches to the table, ranging from a Frisellian looping sound to a straight-ahead post bop to a little something with strings and even a piece that situates itself in territory not far removed from some of Pat Metheny’s more ambient works.  The guitarist is joined by drummer Alfonso de Miguel Drums and bassist Jesús Caparrós, plus some guests on piano and strings.  Naturally, I enjoy the looping action of the opening track, but the breezy melodicism of “Up in the Woods” reminds me pleasantly of the Marc Johnson classic The Sound of Summer Running, and how the music just makes the soul feel free and hopeful and full of light.  A nice under-the-radar recording that should be on your radar.  Music from Murcia, Spain.

Artist site | Listen | Buy:  Bandcamp – Amazon

 

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