Tiny Reviews: Ben Goldberg, Asuka Kakitani Jazz Orchestra, David Boykin, & Inbar Fridman

Tiny Reviews edition!

Featured album:  Ben Goldberg Subatomic Particle Homesick Blues

Plus:  Holunderbluten Drrrring!!!, Asuka Kakitani Jazz Orchestra Bloom, David Boykin Trio Live at Dorchester Projects, and Inbar Fridman Time Quartet Project.

*****

Ben Goldberg – Subatomic Particle Homesick Blues

At the outset of 2013, Ben Goldberg released two albums… each had their own personnel and each had their own shape and sound.  The “other” of those two releases, Unfold Ordinary Mind, picked out a spot on the horizon, then concurrently burned and grooved a path to that spot.  On Subatomic Particle Homesick Blues, Goldberg’s ensemble mixes some lateral movement into the dance at they head off to that horizon.  Soulful blues with sharp angles, punchy cadences that bounce playfully along, and expressions of melody that give the impression of musicians just having a ball in the studio.  Goldberg continues to shine as composer, offering thoughtful constructs, inventively designed, and possessing plenty of room for the personnel to do some exploring of their own.  This leads to some delightful interplay between artists.  The song “Asterisk” is like a game of hide-and-seek in a single-room home with wall-to-wall adjoining closets… intricacy within a simple structure.

Your album personnel:  Ben Goldberg (Bb clarinet, contra-alto clarinet), Joshua Redman (tenor sax), Ron Miles (trumpet), Devin Hoff (bass), Ches Smith (drums), and guest: Scott Amendola (drums).

Released on Goldberg’s BAG Production label.

Available at eMusic.  Available at Bandcamp.  Available at Amazon: CD | MP3

Other Albums of Note:

Holunderbluten – Drrrring!!!

The Holunderbluten trio bring some serious heat to a typical dreamy Nordic jazz sound, embracing dissonance in volumes that reflect an avant-garde approach than a Nordic jazz serenity.  Moody at times, boisterous at others, melodies that drift and rhythms that beat back complacency.

Your album personnel:  Ganesh Geymeier (tenor sax), Noémie Cotton (accordion), and Fred Bürki (drums).

Stream a couple album tracks on the label site HERE.

Released on the Oh My label.  Available at eMusic.

Asuka Kakitani Jazz Orchestra – Bloom

Elegant big band album led by composer Asuka Kakitani, and including Jacob Garchik, Mark Ferber, and Jason Rigby among the eighteen musicians comprising this ensemble.  The kind of complex music that’s easy to listen to.  Plenty of bursts of euphoria followed by long soaring sections of beauty.  Interesting vocal contribution by Sara Serpa, adds an unexpected and vital element to this nifty recording.

Your album personnel:  Asuka Kakitani (composer/arranger/conductor), John O’Gallagher (alto & soprano sax, flute), Ben Kono (alto & soprano sax, flute), Jason Rigby (tenor sax, clarinet), Mark Small (tenor sax, clarinet), Kenny Berger (baritone sax, bass clarinet), Jeff Wilfore (trumpet, flugelhorn), David Spier (trumpet, flugelhorn), John Bailey (trumpet, flugelhorn), Matt Holman (trumpet, flugelhorn), Mark Patterson (trombone), Matt McDonald (trombone), Jacob Garchik (trombone), Jeff Nelson (bass trombone), Pete McCann (guitars), Mike Eckroth (piano, rhodes), Dave Ambrosio (basses), Mark Ferber (drums), and Sara Serpa (voice).

Released on the on the Nineteen-Eight Records label.  Available at eMusic.

David Boykin Trio – Live at Dorchester Projects

Fiery performance led by saxophonist David Boykin.  Solid set of tunes that echo the period when Jazz was transitioning from a hard bop to an avant-garde free jazz period.  Fiery solos that suddenly ease back into an easy-peasy attitude.  Good stuff from Chicago’s south side.

Your album personnel:  David Boykin (tenor sax), Alex Wing (bass), and James Woodley (drums).

Released on the Sonic Healing Ministries label.  Available at eMusic.

Inbar Fridman – Time Quartet Project

Guitarist Inbar Fridman offers up a nice mix of up-tempo and slower tunes, but the quartet thrives when they keep things at an easy pace.  Not that there’s anything wrong with the sections that adopt an excitable chatter, but when they take their time, their clear expressive brevity is an enthralling mix of intellectual complexity and song-like structure.

Your album personnel:  Inbar Fridman (guitar), Camelia Ben Naceur (piano), Laurent Chavoit (bass), and Stefano Luccini (drums).

Released on the Origin Arts label.  Available at eMusic.

*****

The Ben Goldberg review is original to Bird is the Worm, but portions of the other reviews were originally used in my Jazz Picks weekly article for eMusic, so here’s some language protecting their rights to that reprinted material as the one to hire me to write about new jazz arrivals to their site…

“New Arrivals Jazz Picks,“ and “New Arrivals Jazz Picks“ reprints courtesy of eMusic.com, Inc.
© 2013  eMusic.com, Inc.

As always, my sincere thanks to eMusic for the gig.  Cheers.