Sam Gill's Coursed Waters - Many Altered Returns

Label: Earshift Music, 2019

Personnel - Sam Gill: alto saxophone; Novak Monojlovic: piano; Jacques Emery: bass; James McLean: drums.

Sydney-based alto saxophonist/composer Sam Gill boasts the typical nerve that characterizes adherents of avant-garde jazz and new music. His Coursed Waters quartet, a Sydney/Melbourne collaboration featuring Novak Monojlovic on piano, Jacques Emery on bass, and James McLean on drums, play six Gill’s original compositions structured in such a way that spontaneous creativity is encouraged. Many Altered Returns is the quartet’s first recording and its explorative homogeneity makes pretty hard for us to pick a favorite track.

However, I can point out two related pieces that quickly got my attention: “Fortean Nights” and “Fortean Days”. Any type of phenomena was found in them, but the ‘Nights’ version is a searching, darker exertion with piano in the foreground and uncanny mallet drumming conducive to a more serious and stern expression. After some leisure rambles punctuated with bursts of intensity, a puzzling silence pulls the band into a different direction. Concerning its concluding phase, you can imagine a more muscled version of an Esbjorn Svenson’s groove, climaxing in a fluid stream in nine with shifting piano chords and well-rooted bass notes. On the ‘Days’ version, Gill steps forward, freeing up unorthodox phrases packed with Dolphy-esque intervals. He explores outside conventional bounds, making his alto upsurges gain further impact in the presence of Monojlovic’s inventive piano tapestries.

Although containing identifiable composed parts, the music feels like totally invented on the spot. The opener, “Nodap”, hinges some complexity in its variations and brings to my mind the nonconformism of players like Tim Berne and Loren Stillman. The saxophone joins the resilient pianism eked out with arpeggiated delights and brisk patterns, and both paint a story over a rhythmic template set out by jittery drum attacks and renewed bass rounds. An engrossing enigmatic passage is then activated, emerging with sparse, ominous bowed bass, saxophone impulsive shouts delivered with timbral variety, snare drum eruptions, and controlled piano whirls with some loose fragmented ideas thrown in the mix. The interaction turns out conversational as the tune advances.

As you may have guessed by now, melody is not a priority on this recording, but there’s moments of less friction in favor of more cerebral textures such as offered on “Staring Straight” and “The Turn”. The subtly shaded tones of the latter can be classified as anticlimactic, yet, both McLean’s lyrical brushstrokes with occasional cymbal legato and Emery’s bass oscillations between groundedness and motion, make it tensile.

Not exceeding expectations but not disappointing either, these six dense narrations rely heavily on atmosphere, championing ambiguity as the quartet probes labyrinthine paths with a positive attitude.

Grade B

Favorite Tracks:
02 - The Turn ► 03 - Fortean Nights ► 05 - Fortean Days

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Andrew Munsey - High Tide

Label: Birdwatcher Records, 2019

Personnel - Ochion Jewell: tenor saxophone, kalimba; Steph Richards: trumpet, flugelhorn; Amino Balyamani: piano, Fender Rhodes; Sam Minaie: double bass; Andrew Munsey: drums.

Besides being an adherent of modern drumming and a skilled producer, Andrew Munsey emerges here as an interesting composer. The 10 cuts of his debut album, High Tide, denote both remarkable individuality and strong personality. To undertake this effort, Munsey surrounds himself with assertive peers who didn’t really have to test his mettle since he was in command all the time. Pairing up with bassist Sam Minaie and pianist Amino Balyamani, the drummer establishes a resilient, multi-dimensional substratum that can be compared to a canvas where the two-horn frontline, composed of trumpeter Steph Richards and saxophonist Ochion Jewell, probes fresh jazz idioms by drawing lines that agree and diverge.

The tonal vernacular of the horn section emerges distinctively on “Seeding” after a brief bass solo. Whereas Jewell’s disarming phrases arrive with an articulation and timbre that remind me of Ellery Eskelin's, Richards takes her explorations of sound to a stunning peak. This demonstration occurs on top of the dark-hued rock baseline that kept progressing with scintillating snare-drum rolls at the lower level.

The lucent instrumentation of “Requite” made me contemplate an imaginary crossing between Ralph Alessi and Manu Katché. The bandleader expands his language in a final vamp that swells to a crescendo. His knack for hiding the time through irregular or displaced beats confers an odd gravity to the music and that's particularly evident on the title track, whose erratic bass drum kicks eschew routine while preparing the terrain for the parallel movements and brief polyphony offered by the horn players as well as Balyamani’s solo. The pianist’s work is eminent on the contemporary rendition of “Les Cinq Doigts: Lento”, the sixth movement of Igor Stravinsky’s 1921 piano composition of the same name. It is the sole cover on the album.

This classical erudition is passed to the transitory “Prelude: Tree Fruit”, which goes directly into “Skyline”, a piece where the bowed bass fortifies the theme’s unison melody, and the mercurial lines thrown in by sax and trumpet swarm into the textural net. While listening to it closely, I glimpsed something of Dave Douglas quintet, both in sound aesthetics and structure.

Inventive and free-form shorter pieces are intercalated with the core compositions, and their surprise factor actually works! “Petite Feast” has Rhodes, muted trumpet, and protean saxophone immersed in surging exclamations and walloping interplay; “Driftwood” features Munsey's sophisticated mallet work, contrasting with the ethereal temperament of Jewell’s kalimba and Richards’ breath attacks and moans; “Undertow” incorporates buzzing and droning sounds, but ends up in an extravagant collective groove motivated by clattering, marching snare inflections; and “Schema”, a static, woody, percussive exercise with prepared piano.

Counterbalancing rigor and freedom, Munsey's music articulates and morphs through the fluid synergy created by the musicians involved. This is a valid first appearance as a leader, and its qualities make us look forward to more.

Grade B+

Favorite Tracks:
03 - Seeding ► 05 - Requite ► 10 - Skyline

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Yimba Rudo - Yimba Rudo

Label: Self released, 2019

Personnel - Kevin Norton: vibraphone, percussion; Steve LaSpina: double bass; Jim Pugliese: drums, percussion.

Yimba Rudo, an avant-jazz trio influenced by African rhythms and world music is composed of vibraphonist Kevin Norton, bassist Steve LaSpina, and drummer Jim Pugliese. These shakeups create a rhythmic tapestry that folds and unfolds according to their own decree. Their debut self-titled album embraces uncharted interactions and show their aptitude for freewheeling improvisation while keeping it within logic structural boundaries. All three members brought compositions to the 13-track Yimba Rudo, which means ‘sing love’ in Zimbabwe’s Shona language.

Norton’s warm vibes scamper through the opener, “Reconcile the Classical View”, and land on top of a bass groove in six and an unentangled snare drum work activated by brushes. The flow then breaks off to grant LaSpina his individual space, with Norton picking up the groove that once belonged to the bassist. Finally, it's Pugliese who cautiously exposes his self-thoughts.

“Toronto” insinuates a busy, free ride through frantic vibraphone deliberations, but that doesn’t really happen. Instead, passages exploring timbre and space interweave with the gorgeously accented lines of the theme, expressed in the elated vein of Bobby Hutcherson. This is where the collective becomes more significant than any personal signature.

Cymbal sizzles introduce “Moonstruck”, a twitchy exercise that, although rambling free, involves that sensation of swing along with unbridled intensity.

LaSpina is pretty active with the arco on pieces where the atmosphere requires a deeper, more reserved sound, cases of “Winter Retreat”, a melodious reflection populated with metallic rattles and vibraphone ostinatos; “The Faustian Bargain”, which is adorned by cymbal variety; and “Treace”, whose initially plaintive cogitations veer into the more enthusiastic interplay.

Pugliese’s nifty number called “Morph” commingles singable melodic ideas and rhythmic focus, whereas the conversational “I Dig Facts, Man”, a Norton original, is buoyed by sharp unisons and synced rhythmic details. The mutations and improvisational flair compel the listener to stay alert throughout.

The trio wraps the session with another Norton composition: “Walking The Dogma”, whose interactive jolt consists in a sturdy bass pedal, luminous ride cymbal guidance, and a lilting, slightly bluesy vibe that enchants.

The musicians are in permanent control of the surfaces they kept playing on, and if rhythm and pulse are central to their attractive fluidity, then melodic development it’s like the cherry on top.

Grade B+

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Toronto ► 12 - I Dig Facts, Man ► 13 - Walking The Dogma

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Jeff Williams - Bloom

Label: Whirlwind Recordings, 2019

Personnel - Carmen Staaf: piano; Michael Formanek: bass; Jeff Williams: drums.

The empathic, racehorse-tempo swing displayed on “Scattershot”, the improvised opening track on Jeff Willaims’ new trio effort Bloom, reveals the unobtrusive cooperation between the drummer, the defiant bassist Michael Formanek, an old acquaintance, and the imaginative pianist Carmen Staaf. Free of restrictions, the latter channels bop-inflected melodies, rhythmic figures, and grooving chords into the consistent pulsating flow that stems from the bass-drums underpinning. Her vivacious expressions caught the ears of the drummer when, early last year, she joined Dan Blake & The Digging for a gig at Smalls in New York.

Williams wrote five of the album’s ten tracks, including “Scrunge/Search Me”, which reemerges as a highlight here despite having been featured in the 2013 album The Listener. The piece thrives with Staaf’s Monk-ish impressions over a lilting 7/8 groove before transitioning to a carefree peregrination, which, for some moments, seems ambivalent in regard to which direction to take. Also retrieved from the aforementioned album and dialoguing with a freer posture, “She Can’t Be a Spy” deserves attention as melodies and rhythms walk a delicate tightrope of paradoxes. This last piece also appeared on the album Another Time, whose title cut is reinterpreted here with average results. With that said, keep in mind that the trio approached this material as if it’s never been played before.

Formanek and Staaf contribute two and three compositions, respectively. The bassist brings his uncompromising lyricism and rubato drive to the mesmeric “Ballad of the Weak” as well as a focused swinging drive to “A Word Edgewise”, while Staaf, effortlessly creative in terms of rhythmic figures, relates to Ahmad Jamal's bluesy diction on pieces such as “Short Tune” and “New York Landing”. On the contrary, her featherweight “Chant” blossoms with Yusef Lateef’s spiritual touch, relying on bowed bass, cymbal radiance, and poised melodic meditation to exude peace and hope.

Also evincing a strong spiritual aura is Buster Williams’ “Air Dancing”, a medium-tempo waltz delineated to provide a revitalizing quietening.

With Bloom, Williams doesn’t match the uplifting narratives of his previous CD, Lifelike. However, and even not impressing me much, the album is brightened by balanced moments and communicative openness.

Grade B-

Favorite Tracks:
04 - Scrunge/Search Me ► 07 - She Can’t Be a Spy ► 08 - Air Dancing

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Chase Baird - A Life Between

Label: Soundsabound Records, 2019

Personnel - Chase Baird: tenor saxophone; Brad Mehldau: piano; Nir Felder: guitar; Dan Chmielinski: bass; Antonio Sanchez: drums.

Rising saxophonist David ‘Chase’ Baird, a recent member of Antonio Sanchez’s Migration, surrounds himself with jazz heavyweights for his sophomore full-length release, A Life Between. Its tantalizing offerings won’t disappoint those who look for diversity in jazz, and in truth, the eight tunes that compose this album lean on post-bop, but incorporate several influences that range from athletic rock to lovely classical. Thus, expect a combination of rough edges and sophisticated roundness.

“Ripcord” causes some positive disturbance through the Led Zeppelin-inspired hard rock power chords that resonates in the first place. Guitarist Nir Felder was the responsible for that, after which he puts his instrument on hold, returning in full force for the brawny final vamp. In the meantime, we have the bandleader and pianist Brad Mehldau speaking confidently on top of a smooth, polished atmosphere. Exhibiting an authoritative command of the saxophone, Baird puts on show a cavalcade of coherent notes assembled with the force of a tornado, finding an essential harmonic-melodic foil in the emotional pianism of Mehldau. The latter fundaments his thoughts with classy ideas, shaping and adapting his playing to the nature of each piece. He provides the perfect romantic atmosphere and palpable silkiness to Robert Schumann’s hymn “Im Wunderschonen Monat Mai”, whose original classical score Baird simply handed to the band.

Rave-up dynamics suffused with brisk melodies and hair-trigger solos can be found on “Reactor”, a 7/4 patchwork that weaves together post-bop, M-base, indie pop, and funk elements. Besides Baird, who grooves under the roiling funk imposed by the rhythm section, also Felder comes to the forefront. Eschewing any preconception related to style, the guitarist enriches his playing with gorgeous effects and favorable surprises, having the syncopated propulsion of Antonio Sanchez as a stimulating factor.

A different, yet still very valid penchant for groove is perceptible on “Wait and See”, an uptempo blues-based piece marked by a hard-boppish refrain. It starts off with Baird’s Coltrane-fueled instincts delivered with timbral variety and with just drums underpinning his agile moves. A steadfast swinging pulse calls for Felder, whose well-developed language congregates appealing rhythmic ideas and quirky chords. The improvisational partitions are extinguished after Dan Chmielinski’s sprightly bass solo.

The group steps into more introverted territory with “As You Are”, a gentle waltz soaked in sax-guitar unisons, and the title track, a soulful 4/4 narration drenched in vulnerability and fervor. “In The Wake (of Urban Overdrive)” acquires dreamy tones with the echoing reverb-drenched guitar melodies and gives the soloists - Baird and Felder - another opportunity to speak up with impressive eloquence.

This serious, exciting jazz deserves attention.

Grade A-

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Ripcord ► 03 - Reactor ► 05 - Wait and See

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Jonathon Crompton - Intuit

Label: New Lab Records, 2019

Personnel - Jonathon Crompton: alto saxophone; Ingrid Laubrock: tenor saxophone; Patrick Breiner: tenor saxophone, bass clarinet; Patrick Booth: tenor saxophone; Adam Hopkins: bass; Kate Gentile: drums

The sound of the saxophone always hypnotized me. All the possible attacks and timbres can make it powerful and aggressive on one hand and sleek and sweet on the other. Australian-born saxophonist Jonathon Crompton knows all this and explores the particularities of the instrument, coordinating polyphonies and contrapuntal movements within defined frameworks for an attractive chamber storytelling.

The eight tunes that comprise Intuit, the first release on his own label New Lab Records, were subjected to glowing arrangements, providing an absorbing set of music that, according to its author, skims over style connotations. However, his approach naturally reflects some influences: from the colorful post-bop of Joe Lovano to the clever mainstream of Paul Desmond, as well as classical practices, with Philip Glass and John Harle coming to my head in the first instance, all contribute to an up-to-date sound and texture.

All the material was written before Crompton’s arrival in the US in 2013, except for the title track, a collective free improvisation where the bandleader, Ingrid Laubrock, and Patrick Breiner overlap percussive popping sounds, methodic throaty ostinatos, short rapid runs, and cacophonous squeaks and moans, with unfettered abandon. Initially functioning without accompaniment, the three saxes welcome bass and drums to develop an interesting synergy, even with the impetus declining toward the ending.

Radiating a strong classical glow, “Courage” is an ad-libbed troubadour-like song, nicely arranged to provide a smooth and velvety touch at the surface. This piece is not isolated as a reeds-only composition. In the same category, we have “Primacy of Gesture”, “Catherine”, in which the sax voices echo grandiosely in the vastness, and “December”. They all disclose sequences of notes that loom larger as they unfold through well-studied movements and curious passages defined by unisons and polyphonic settlement. After all, this is all about the rhythmic precision and timbral contrast of the horn section.

The introductory soft focus of “Apathy” has to do with the momentary silences and pauses that fragmentizes its course. However, and without completely abandoning the thoughtful, sluggish posture that characterizes it, the group puts on view a wonderful orchestration with the bass clarinet in evidence. There’s an uncompromising search for energy as well as an inclination for the adventure, which fully arrives on both “Dreaming” and “Suite in A”. Colored by a distinct atmosphere, the former veers from hushed classical empathy to confident, bright tempo swing to stimulate extemporaneous rides, while the latter blends the traditional and modern jazz canons as a successful encounter between post-bop and avant-jazz. Amidst the cohesive palette of textures there’s room for individual creativity. Thus, after bringing the intensity down, Adam Hopkins’ pounding bass pedal in complicity with Kate Gentile’s subdued yet luxurious drumming encourages the reedists to blow fanciful, exotic phrases.

Crompton is a prime example of a clever arranger who also knows how to engage the attentive listener by staying away from cliché-ridden schemes.

Grade A-

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Intuit ► 03 - Apathy ► 07 - Suite in A

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Kendrick Scott Oracle - A Wall Becomes a Bridge

Label: Blue Note Records, 2019

Personnel - John Ellis: saxophones, clarinets, flute; Mike Moreno: guitars; Taylor Eigsti: piano; Joe Sanders: bass; Kendrick Scott: drums; Jahi Sundance: turntables.

A Wall Becomes a Bridge is the fourth offering from American drummer/composer Kendrick Scott and his working group Oracle. It's a positive sequel to his previous We Are the Drum (2015), also released on the Blue Note Records. Even haunted by fears and insecurities while in the process of writing music for this new effort, Scott was able to put a commendable record together with the help of his bandmates. The album’s title certainly refers to that complicated phase, but also has political connotations, alluding to the drummer's dissatisfaction regarding the presidency of his country.

The album was produced by bassist Derrick Hodge and features a core of extraordinary musicians, including the fascinating guitarist Mike Moreno, Scott’s longer-lasting collaborator, adaptable saxophonist/clarinetist John Ellis, flexible pianist Taylor Eigsti, and rock-solid bassist Joe Sanders. Scott also hired turntablist DJ Jahi Sundance on shorter interlude-like pieces, typically inclusive of syncopated hip-hop treatments, vocal samples, and atmospheric instrumentation as they explore a new genre hybridization. As a result of this particular selection, I picked the chamber-esque “Windows” as a highlight, one of the two pieces co-written with Hodge.

The bandleader’s hypnotic drumming also embodies hip-hop vibes on “The Catalyst”, where Moreno brings forth a sophisticated guitar sound and language that nod to Metheny and Rosenwinkel alike. His instrument also illuminates the soul-stirring “Voices”, which blends the gentle, measured aesthetics of Tomasz Stanko and Tord Gustavsen, but also brings something of Rosenwinkel’s “Zhivago” in the melody and ambiance. This composition was the promptest response to the drummer’s insecurities and, ironically, Scott is all confidence here, firing up formidable drum fills with magnitude and authenticity.

Whether it is the waltzing flow of the Hodge-penned “Don Blue”, the emotionally-charged environment of the Strayhorn-ish ballad “Becoming”, or the enigmatic sound waves caused by the bass clarinet on Aaron Parks’ 7/4 “Nemesis”, the musicians show they’re comfortable and digging every move. Moreover, even the slower tunes flirt with vibrancy.

Eigsti’s “Mocean” is another example of narrative devotion and strong communication as Scott’s pounding bass drum kicks lead the way. The rich solo section features the pianist’s fleet-fingered articulation and Ellis’ expressive fire on the clarinet. The group wraps up with the charming “Archangel”, lustrously portrayed in 3/4 and embraceable of Moreno’s acoustic sounds.

Inviting the listener to his sonic world, Scott deserves kudos for turning the difficulties into a positive outcome.

Grade A-

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Mocean ► 04 - Voices ► 11 - Nemesis

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Joel Ross - Kingmaker

Label: Blue Note Records, 2019

Personnel - Joel Ross: vibraphone; Immanuel Wilkins: alto saxophone; Jeremy Corren: piano; Benjamin Tiberio: electric bass; Jeremy Dutton: drums + guest Gretchen Parlato: vocals.

Chicago-born, Brooklyn-based Joel Ross is a young prodigy who assumes a special place in the current vibraphone pantheon, having collaborated as a sideman in projects led by James Francies, Marquis Hill, Makaya McCraven, and Walter Smith III. Revealing an impressive musical maturity at the age of 23, he roses to prominence with Kingmaker, his debut album recently released on the prestigious Blue Note imprint.

Ross penned ten of the 12 compositions on the album, drawing inspiration from people, relationships, and events, and dedicating many of them to members of his family. The title track, written for his mother, is one of the strongest as it spins with a contemporary edge both in harmony and rhythm. Before segueing into a final vamp populated by ostinatos, alto saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins boasts his flexible, angular vocabulary with a captivating tone, conjuring up the fervency of Ornette Coleman and the spirituality of Coltrane. Prior to the cited track (the seventh), he had already demonstrated for several times why he is considered one of the most brilliant young voices in jazz today, and the incredibly soulful opening number, “Touched By An Angel”, serves as another showcase for his improvisational prowess. While his unapologetic inside/outside elasticity stuns at every passage, the breathable bass inflations of Benjamin Tiberio cements marvelously with the downtempo flux of drummer Jeremy Dutton, who keeps impressing with tasteful rhythmic developments as the tune approaches the end. On his side, Ross shines in a quasi-celestial vibraphone intro and fascinating solo, and from then on, with an intelligent comping manufactured with prismatic voicings and rich textures.

Fomenting collective empathy in addition to impromptu bravura, “Prince Lynn’s Twin” and “With Whom Do You Learn Trust” are breezy yet firm post-bop encounters where Wilkins and Ross work very close to each other, whether delivering unisons or alternating bars. They embark on the latter action again on “The Grand Struggle Against Fear”, which is also a showcase for pianist Jeremy Corren’s classical-inflected leisure. On “Yana”, a piece marked by curious propulsive nuances, it’s the pianist's turn to take part in the trade-offs alongside the bandleader.

I was left to ask myself if “Is It Love That Inspires You” could be grounded on a samba rhythm. The wooziness created by the hit and recoil of Ross’ lines is enduring, and Dutton almost reaches that boiling swinging point in the instant he starts discoursing with no limitations. The versatile drummer brought one of his pieces to the album. Titled “Grey”, it finds the quintet probing a different ambiance, leaning on innocuous abstraction and dreamy obscurity before opening the horizons. “Fredas Disposition”, written by Ross with lyrics by Bianca Muñiz, features guest vocalist Gretchen Parlato.

Worshipers of fresh and edgy pulsations, Ross and his co-workers use their skills to stitch together a coherent musical narration that expresses a significant dimension within a proper structure. It’s always encouraging when a young talent starts off his career on the right foot.

Grade A-

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Touched By An Angel ► 05 - Is It Love That Inspires You ► 07 - Kingmaker

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Rich Halley - Terra Incognita

Label: Pine Eagle Records, 2019

Personnel - Rich Halley: tenor saxophone; Matthew Shipp: piano; Michael Bisio: bass; Newman Taylor Baker: drums.

Tenor saxophonist Rich Halley explores new music with a gutsy new quartet on his most recent outing, Terra Incognita. For this experience, he recruits the Matthew Shipp Trio to support him, which, besides the formidable pianist, includes bassist Michael Bisio and drummer Newman Taylor Baker.

From the bravura call-and-response of the opening track (“Opening”) to the rhythmically loose-limbed conclusion (“The Journey”), erratically expressed with obscure piano voicings and bop accents, one can’t help being engulfed by the album's high concentrations of energy.

Attempting to find common parallels , the quartet creates without bounds, embarking on atonal spiritual quests, fast swinging rallies, and circumspect interactions.They take us to both recondite and familiar places.

Both the bluesy, riffy “Forager” and the febrile “Centripetal” are permeated with Coltranean extrapolations and momentary giddy whinnies that become central in the scrabbling interplay and avant-jazz roaming agreed by the quartet. The latter piece runs at full-pelt, presenting a mightily swinging bass/drums alliance and hectic chordal movements that culminate in striking turmoil. The magnetic finale, outstandingly crisp and tight, shows attentive musicians working with a similar disposition.

Investigative and cautious, “The Elms” has Shipp operating with an oneiric intonation. He shares a furtive melodic sequence with Halley, and makes the temperature drop with piercing notes that sound as big and cool as they are sharp and stimulating. By comparison, the title track, a freewheeling ride, shows the pianist building ad-libbing background through the use of micro-phrase flashing and also corresponding to the saxophone irruptions with instinctive reactions.

Terra Incognita consists of brutally honest music and free jazz surfers will find pretty consistent waves to ride.

Grade A-

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Opening ► 03 - Centripetal ► 06 - The Journey

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Peter Furlan Project - Between The Lines

Label: Beany Bops, 2019

Personnel - Peter Furlan: tenor and soprano saxophones; Vinnie Cutro: trumpet, flugelhorn; Roger Rosenberg: baritone saxophone, bass clarinet; Andrew Beals: alto saxophone; Erick Storckman: trombone; Neil Alexander: piano, keyboards; David Budway: piano; Saul Rubin: guitar; Peter Brendler: bass; Nadav Snir Zelniker: drums.

Peter Furlan is an able saxophonist, composer, and arranger whose eclecticism is well patent on this particular project, in which a crew of ten qualified and versatile musicians are at his disposal to play music inspired by the modern literary fiction. Combining energy and perspicuity, Between The Lines dawns with the opulent “A Visit From the Goon Squad”, which exposes a swanky beat, passionate unisons and counter-lines, and a pungent harmonic urge, in a style that is full but never florid. Demonstrating improvisational competences on this first track are guitarist Saul Rubin, trumpeter Vinnie Cutro, whose discourses are marked by a brisk hard-bop agility á-la Kenny Dorham, and keyboardist Neil Alexander.

The program includes a few breezy rides such as “TransAltantic”, whose odd meter doesn’t constitute an obstacle for a poignant soprano incursion with the bass clarinet echoing an ostinato in the back; “Black Hole Blue” (not inspired by any book but a dedication to Furlan’s late father), which saunters with R&B posture over a steady beat; and “White Noise”, whose punchy groove in seven courageously resists the unexceptional melody.

Itchy and playful, “The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay” strides almost like a march, featuring earnest solos from the bandleader on soprano and Erick Storckman on tronbone. Alexander ceases the improvisational timeframe with some kitschy effects that may not go with all personal tastes.

Versatility shows up not only in the form of rhythmic Latin flavors and swing, like on “Underworld”, but also rock groove and elated post-bop on “Foucault’s Pendulum” and “Time’s Arrow”, respectively. The latter piece brings the stoutness of Rosenberg’s baritone to the forefront prior to pianist David Budway draft cool lines with ravishing melody and rhythmic meaning.

The funk-fueled “Watchmen”, a 12-bar blues, is a showcase for drummer Nadav Snir-Zelniker, who fills the gaps left by fragmented unisons, as well as Rosenberg, who sinks down his lines the way it was meant to. Moreover, Furlan pushes his reeds hard on tenor, while Alexander infuses eccentricity.

By jamming exuberant, hard-edged lines into the net of composed and improvised sections, Peter Furlan blends the tradition and the contemporary with structured arrangements. While the individuality gives the project supplemental color, unity is what holds it together. This is a fun album.

Grade B

Favorite Tracks:
01 - A Visit From the Goon Squad ► 03 - Watchmen ► 10 - Time’s Arrow

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Angles 9 - Beyond Us

Label: Clean Feed, 2019

Personnel - Martin Kuchen: alto and tenor saxophones; Magnus Broo: trumpet; Eirik Hegdal: baritone sax; Goran Kajfes: cornet; Mats Aleklint: trombone; Mattias Stahl: vibraphone; Alexander Zethson: piano; Johan Berthling: bass; Andreas Werliin: drums.

The intrepid Swedish sax player Martin Kuchen reunites his Angles 9 group, a powerful nonet that already proved its value with the previous three Clean Feed recordings. Perhaps a bit less boisterous in the improvisations but definitely more refined in the orchestration, the new Beyond Us, recorded live at the Zomer Jazz FietsTour in The Netherlands, comprises five fresh and dynamic compositions penned by Martin, with Isak and Leo Kuchen giving their contribution to three of them.

The title track is elevated to an epic through its lavish instrumentation and imposing pulsation. A vibrant circular bass groove, in the pocket with the drums, holds everything on its shoulders, impelling vibraphonist Mattias Stahl to embark on a skittering improvisational journey. He has the horn crew bringing the theme’s sumptuous lines in a timely manner before the distinguished sense of individuality from trumpeter Magnus Broo echoes on top of the unfaltering foundation offered by pianist Alexander Zethson, bassist Johan Berthling, and drummer Andreas Werliin.

“U(n) Happier Marriages” unveils a jazzier piano inception, with Zethson navigating between the cosmic universe of Sun Ra and the angular exquisiteness of Thelonious Monk. However, the mood that shows up later is more reminiscent of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers (“Moanin” easily comes to mind) and some of Mingus’ orchestral fantasies. The improvisational section includes downward-pitched brass moves from trombonist Mats Aleklint and a round bass soliloquy from Berthling before ending with a bluesy collective mourn fabricated with taste and style.

Sounding more like Grachan Moncur III, the trombonist also makes use of his gruff and blustery timbre on “Samar & The Egyptian Winter”, a haunting piece where Kuchen makes a knockout appearance by discharging skirling laments in the first place. Brass sounds comply with the unaggressive foundation, preceding a sax/bass duo passage that leads to the grooving finale.

Cross-cultural fragrances are in the air with the embracement of further sounds from the Middle East and Africa on the CD’s last two pieces, “Against The Permanent Revolution” and “Mali”. The former struts imperiously like an elegant march with the horn players delivering passionate unisons and Eirik Hegdal strolling his baritone sax with fire, whereas the latter is a brassy elated fantasy introduced by Werliin’s adroit rhythm and complemented with solos of crackling intensity, jubilant percussive passages, and patterned interplay.

This unremittingly colorful program, devotedly explored by a nonet of talented groovers, withstands repeated playing and should be played loud to maximize fun.

Grade A-

Favorite Tracks:
03 - Samar & The Egyptian Winter ► 04 - Against The Permanent Revolution ► 05 - Mali

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Alex Sipiagin - NoFo Skies

Label: Blue Room Music, 2019

Personnel – Alex Sipiagin: trumpet; Chris Potter: tenor saxophone; Will Vinson: alto saxophone; Alina Engibaryan: vocals; John Escreet: piano, keyboards; Matt Brewer: bass; Eric Harland: drums.

NoFo Skies, the new recording by trumpeter/composer Alex Sipiagin, features his regular crew. If saxophonists Chris Potter and Will Vinson contribute to the supple three-horn voicing with ardent determination, pianist/keyboardist John Escreet, bassist Matt Brewer, and drummer Eric Harland establish a front-rank rhythm section. Russian-born vocalist Alina Engibaryan completes the lineup, employing her warm tones to narrate stories with words and contemporary melodies. The material, nine compositions by Sipiagin and one by Engybarian, run smoothly, forming a solid whole. The album was inspired by the North Fork of Long Island, New York (Spiagin’s home), and wends its way through a variety of modern yet palpable sonic terrains.

“Rush” is delivered with magnificent colors, a standout cut where it’s impossible not to get swept in its exquisite groove and relish with the exuberance of the horns. Besides the strong melodic and harmonic content, there’s this crisp, syncopated urban beat that modulates into a different meter according to the passages. The unhesitant, quasi-indomitable improvisations from Spiagin, Vinson, and Escreet are replete of inventive ideas, while Harland wings it over a concluding vamp.

“NoFo Skies” manages its curves and angles with a crossover feel that calls up Pat Metheny and Michael Brecker. Before diving into a collective horn rampage, Potter, Sipiagin, and Escreet, who deliberately blurs the focus on keyboards, already had blown the lid off to let their languages flow unreservedly.

Engibaryan wrote lyrics for and sung on “Recovery”, where breezy jazz waves meet contemporary R&B; “Shadows”, a flattering piece honed with adjacent unisons; “For You”, a showcase for her vocal range; and “Between AM’s”, a vocal-layered piece whose music she penned herself. On the latter piece, and despite the simplicity of the beat, Sipiagin and Potter show off hot solos that pin you back in your chair. The trumpeter’s chromatic movements are quite groovy, whereas the tenorist rides half-in half-out over a funk-ish synth-driven tide.

Following sketchy guidelines, both “Sky 1” and “Sky 2” are atmospheric musings that nothing have to do with “Savoir”, a proof that Escreet, Brewer, and Harland are adepts of that breezy funk in the vein of Jamiroquai and Incognito.

For this disc, Sipiagin invested as much in compositional acumen as improvisational abundance, modernizing rhythms and patterns while still respectful of traditional frames. All musicians seem comfortably fit in their positions and the present session transpires not just a relaxed environment but also the strong bondage between them.

Grade B

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Rush ► 02 - NoFo Skies ► 09 - Between AM’s

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Kent O'Doherty - Periville

Label: Right Side left Records, 2019

Personnel - Kent O’Doherty: tenor and soprano saxophones; Gamelan gong; organ.

Kent O’Doherty is an Australian-born, US-based saxophonist/composer with a knack for imaginative storytelling. Alone, he composed and played Periville, an immersive double-disc soundtrack that describes a fictional small town in North America. Each disc contains 13 tracks that attempt to shape the places and characters of Periville with an arty, self-conscious vision.

“Small Town” can be seen as the town’s anthem, a solitary saxophone melody that, according to the author, ‘restores the faith of Periville’s residents’ after difficult circumstances. Also delineated by his warm-toned tenor, “The Pickup Truck” and “The Main Street” disclose Periville as a tranquil place, where people live quietly, far from any big-city hurly-burly.

The longest track on the record is “The Seasons”. The liveliness of the spring, for example, is comparable to the excitement of “Football Game”, the sports that strengthen the community. The avant-gardish approach on “Children and Birds” is also a joy and, on this occasion, there is harmony contextualizing the spirited soprano warbling. Pictures effortlessly come to our minds due to the power of sounds and the context provided by the description of each episode in the CD booklet.

I dare to say that Periville is to O’Doherty what Dogville was to Lars Von Trier. You’ll find drama, hope, but also sadness and melancholy since tragedy fell upon the city. That’s why “What Was Periville Before the Fire” conveys a tranquil bliss while “What Was Periville After the Fire” is filled with desolated sounds and piercing piano notes. The solo piano pieces, gentle pastoral washes of dismal color and classical nuance, always respond to questions of ‘what’ and ‘how’. Typically, conveying feelings related to fondness, disappointment, and nostalgia.

The people of the town are also very interesting, and if “Mayor Christina” arouses some curiosity and hope by offering overlapping reverberating soprano lines infused with electronic effects dancing on top of a slender drone, “Virginia” mixes brisk cascading moves with a few ponderous thoughts. Despite her possible hybrid personality, I found her more cheerful than “Miriam”, who made me think of solitude. The successful “Brian”, instead, is portrayed with a deep Gamelan gong providing a solid base for the nimble tenor activity, while “Chester, Frank and Edgar” is blown with a boppish orientation in a tribute to friendship and mutual aid. “Reverend Carlton”, a man of unshakable faith, and his unsatisfied and subversive son “Corey” are masterfully characterized. The former has a church organ chord sustaining methodical, stern, and fervent lines, perhaps associated with the reverend’s sermons, while the latter composition wraps the saxophone in a distorted effect, a symbol of anger against and repulse for the town and its inhabitants.

I couldn’t finish this review without mentioning the Surman-esque “Soda Shop”, whose mysterious reed organ voicings reinforce its ghostly existence as a product of the mind, and “Textile Factory”, a central element in the story, whose mechanical working flows force O’Doherty to come out of his shell through the usage of loops, counterpoint, and busy figures. It ends with the melancholy of its own ashes.

Conceptual and very cinematic indeed, this haunting Periville.

Grade B

Favorite Tracks:
07 (disc1) - Mayor Christina ► 02 (disc2) - Soda Shop ► 05 (disc2) - Reverend Carlton

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Evan Parker & Kinetics - Chiasm

Label: Clean Feed, 2019

Personnel - Evan Parker: tenor saxophone; Jacob Anderskov: piano; Adam Pultz Melbye: bass; Anders Vestergaard: drums.

The fruitful association between English saxophonist Evan Parker, an authority in the free improvisation panorama, and the Lisbon-based imprint Clean Feed has more than a decade. His latest recording for the cited record label involved The Kinetics, a Danish trio led by pianist Jacob Anderskov and featuring bassist Adam Pultz Melbye, and drummer Anders Vestergaard. On the inscrutable and yet mesmerizing Chiasm, they indulge in four pieces captured live in two European cities, London (at the Vortex Jazz Club) and Copenhagen (at DKDM Studio). At those places, the quartet funneled their creative forces into a solid package of music that flutters with labyrinthine paths and experimental structures.

Clocking in at 18 minutes, “London Part I” is the longest piece on the CD, kicking off with the pianist as he probes directions with fearlessness and creates a swampy sonic terrain whose magnetic effect drags us into its vortex. Parker infiltrates by blowing a razor-edged dissertation that, suddenly, becomes solely backed up by bass and drums. The versatile, highly interactive pianist adheres again, establishing a strangely zigzagging dialogue with the saxophonist, all flowering on top of an enthusiastic rhythmic tapestry. The last segment presents a shift in this atmosphere as the group obscures the canvas, yet nothing that can prevent the drums from emerging underneath the systematic flurries and blistering chords brought up by Anderskov.

“Copenhagen Part I” is made of an organic and strenuous continual movement that barely fluctuates within the consistent stream. Its mood differentiates from “Copenhagen Part II”, whose first layer is loosely established by piano and drums. Parker, whose obsessive blows range from cerebral to burning, jumps in to form a three-way communication channel over which, in due time, Melbye dispatches an interesting mix of pizzicato and arco bass reflections. Clearly, they are all working on the same wavelength, drowning their zest in a tense gravity to reach a noisy pinnacle before the calm ending.

“London Part II” closes the curtain with so much to admire. Parker ventures out alone, infusing percussive slap tonguing as part of his attractive burnished sound. He masters the saxophone with impressive control of circular breathing and unleashes multiple observations in the form of concentric bursts patterned with dark hues. With Coltrane in plain sight here, these are placed on top of the menacing soundscapes allocated by his co-workers.

Chiasm is inspired improvisation and another great effort in Parker’s never-ending pursuit of gripping, moody courses of sound and texture.

Grade A-

Favorite Tracks:
03 - Copenhagen Part II ► 04 - London Part II

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In Order To Survive - Live / Shapeshifter

Label: AUM Fidelity, 2019

Personnel - Rob Brown: alto saxophone; Cooper-Moore: piano; William Parker: bass; Hamid Drake: drums.

For decades that bassist William Parker plays a major role in the free/avant-garde scene. In Order to Survive is a finely honed project he has spearheaded since 1993, pairing powerfully written material and free improvisation with noble ideas of justice, democracy, and equality. Their latest work consists of a double album recorded live in performance at Shapeshifter Lab in Brooklyn, New York. It is no more exciting than any of their studio records, but it doesn’t disappoint either, offering an engaging musical dynamism that entraps us.

Disc one accommodates an extended five-part suite titled Eternal is the Voice of Love, which, according to its author, is dedicated to the creative spirit called Peace. The first movement, “Entrance To the Tone World”, is set in motion with the bass turned loose and deep percussion with occasional cymbal glitter, while pianist Cooper-Moore and altoist Rob Brown react to each other’s moves. Then, drummer Hamid Drake serves up a thumping rhythm as the bass throbs. The same bass that, moments later, morphs into a swinging flow to welcoming the agile sweeps and striding leaps of Cooper-Moore, whose lines can be as fast as a cyclonic wind. He channels a great part of his energy to the improvs, but also brings all that rooted jazz and blues-based ideas that are part of his process. As Brown returns to the center, Parker lurches into half-unfasten and half-swinging bass lines, transitioning to Part II: “Color Against Autumn Sky”, in a seamless way. Here, you’ll find solid-body, foot-tapping grooves exposed to some pounding rhythmic accelerations.

Part III: “If There Is a Chance”, an inspiring reflective trip melodically led by shakuhachi (a Japanese bamboo flute expertly played by Parker), binds the magical and the surreal with an unfettered spontaneous posture. After the quite busy Part IV: “A Situation”, which provides wide-open terrain for Brown to explore and traverse with his timbral prowess, Part V: “Birth of the Sunset” reestablishes the quiet deliberations. Terse arco bass slashes, pensive pianism, and simple hi-hat conduction offer a more intimate view of the band’s flexibility.

Comprising five inexorable pulse-punting numbers, disc two boasts the playful “Demons Lining The Hails of Justice” as a true demonstration of energy, resilience, and resistance, with “Newark” being a bouncy, brainy exercise. The latter starts grooving in six but sticks to a sort of linear marching step in its final section. It’s dedicated to trombonist Grachan Moncur III, an original member of this group.

The remaining tunes are “Drum and Bass Interlude”, in which Parker and Drake show their deft abilities to handle deep grooves and rhythms, “In Order To Survive”, the bluesy and cyclic hymn where Parker sings ‘in order to survive, you gotta keep hope alive’, and “Eternity”, a piece of spiritual acceptance.

Grade B

Favorite Tracks:
03 (disc1) - Eternal is the Voice of Love III: If There is a Chance ► 01 (disc2) - Demons Lining The Hails of Justice ► 03 (disc2) - Newark

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Dan Clucas, Vinny Golia, Steuart Liebig, Alex Cline - Boojum Quartet

Label: Klooktone Records, 2019

Personnel - Dan Clucas: cornet; Vinny Golia: saxophones and clarinets; Steuart Liebig: electric contrabass; Alex Cline: drums and percussion.

The stalwart Boojum Quartet is Dan Clucas on cornet, Vinny Golia on saxophones and clarinets, Steuart Liebig on electric contrabass, and Alex Cline on drums and percussion.

The 23-minute “Big Boojum” takes time to evolve, initially bringing master Cline’s cymbal projections and tasteful thumps to the center. Despite the effortless communication between Clucas and Golia, which usually sparks off reactions in the rhythm section, it’s the drummer who shines here. He switches to brushes in the middle of the trip for a smoother ambiance, but still joins the impenetrable horn activity and dark contrabass lines with a panoply of articulated drum sounds. Together, they go for a dark psychedelia-infused finale in the vein of the industrial rock fashion of Ministry and Skinny Puppy. In contrast, the succinct “Little Boojum”, clocking in at 1:22, provides a very cinematic experience with muted cornet and bass clarinet operating beautifully within their distant ranges.

Taking nearly 20 minutes, “Oak”, one of my favorite pieces, opens with scattered percussive strokes, many of them belonging to the metallic category, and finds Golia in his more thoughtful and sparse playing. On his side, Clucas, unpolished and unapologetic, pours out torrents of fierce phrases like lava expelled from a giant volcano. Following the fearlessly funk-rock stride laid down by Liebig and Cline (both their individual and combined sounds are fantastic), the saxophonist gesticulates with power and glory, discharging searing energy from his saxophone. Down the bumpy road, the horn lines juxtapose. The cooperation is tense and dramatic, but the air becomes much less congested, even when unimposing drones appear underneath a few minutes before the conclusion.

If “Manzanita” and “Eucalyptus” bring no novelty attached in their nonchalant passages without diminishing the impact of the material as a whole, then “Poppy” offers another excellent ride, in which the musicians push and pull one another in a spontaneously improvised setting that ranges from mournful to unfettered. Before a quiet dawning, where the substratum is propped by Liebig’s irregular single and double plucks, the quartet embarks on an avant-garde foray containing muted cornet in coalition with saxophone rapid trills and vertiginous swirls, before landing on a turbulent alternative rock rumpus filled with grimy rhythmic onslaughts.

The four avant-jazz specialists put a lot of fervency and devotion in this revolutionary session.

Grade A-

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Poppy ► 03 - Big Boojum ► 05 - Oak

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Dann Zinn - Day of Reckoning

Label: Origin Records, 2019

Personnel – Dann Zinn: tenor saxophone; Taylor Eigsti: piano; Zach Ostroff: bass; Mark Ferber: drums.

Throughout the album Day of Reckoning, the fifth from tenorist Dann Zinn, creative freedom emerges with straightforward structural discipline within a post-bop realm that oftentimes refers to the sonic worlds of Michael Brecker, Sonny Stitt, Jerry Bergonzi, and Phil Woods. In the company of technically developed musicians such as pianist Taylor Eigsti, a frequent collaborator, bassist Zach Ostroff, and drummer Mark Ferber, Zinn blends familiar straight-ahead swinging motion with the musical individuality patented in the pulsating vim and vigor of his blows.

The disc comprises 10 tracks, nine originals written for these specific musicians and an interpretation of the 1934 ballad “Blame It On My Youth”, authored by Oscar Levant and Edward Heyman. The latter tune, together with “Infinity Road”, denotes the quietest moments of an energetic album that opens with the exhilarating modal feel and surging impetus of the title track. Zinn’s frenetic elocution takes the form of a riot-like outburst, with the rhythm section securing the unstoppable swinging drive that only ceases to accommodate Ostroff’s proclamation. The swing is resumed when Eigsti displays an impeccably coordinated statement.

The second track, “Longing”, is a bit more restrained than its predecessor but still passionate and stimulating. It kicks off with serene piano, which, moments later, combines with regularly spaced arco bass reactions and decorous percussive elegance. This moderate inception is jazzed up gradually as the improvisations move ahead, culminating with Zinn exchanging choruses with Eigsti. Their musical chemistry is noticeable.

The volcanic force of the first two selections somewhat mitigates on the following tracks. Yet, one can find Keith Jarrett’s influence appearing on both “Family Reunion”, a post-bop tune tempered by Latin grace, and “9”, which recalls the work of the cited pianist with Jan Garbarek. “Continental Drive”, introduced with an effusive saxophone extemporization solely backed by drums, is a crossover number with detectable folk lines, differing, however, from the ancestral-like flute celebrations offered on “The Journey Home”.

“Time’s Up” closes out the album, searching for something more than a groove through several rhythm/tempo variations. Zinn has reasons to be proud of his music, which was specifically written for the quartet he leads.

Grade B

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Day of Reckoning ► 02 - Longing ► 03 - Continental Drive

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Human Feel - Gold

Label: Intakt Records, 2019

Personnel - Andrew D’Angelo: alto saxophone, bass clarinet; Chris Speed: tenor saxophone, clarinet; Kurt Rosenwinkel: guitar; Jim Black: drums, synth.

Human Feel - the virtuosic quartet of saxophonists/clarinetists Andrew D’Angelo and Chris Speed, guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel, and drummer Jim Black - released their sixth work, Gold, on the European Intakt Records, 12 years after Galore (Skirl Records). With all members contributing compositions, the philosophy of the group remains faithful to the grip and adventure that has been characterizing their versatile sonic palette.

D’Angelo’s “Alar Vome” kicks off in a velvety classical style designed by splendorous saxophone sounds, which draw an organically composed canvas that seems to describe idyllic, romantic suburbia. Clashing forces occur when distorted guitar strokes and spanking drumming push the tune to a more ebullient realm. These contrasting colors are refreshingly stimulating, in the same way that the dialogue established by saxophone and guitar is electrifying.

“Imaginary Friend” was conceived by Speed with vigorous, eerie vibes and assertive instrumental attacks such as the machine gun-like bratatat of the guitar, intense saxophone interplay, and magnetic prog-rock-derived pulses. This is one of the many pieces influenced by the alternative rock genre, having the particularity of carrying shades of erudite dark metal. Other hard-hitting rock ambushes are made on D’Angelo’s danceable, post-punk-influenced “Eon Hit” and Black’s “Stina Blues”, which sounds more American garage than dirty grunge. Also, “GD” falls into a stationary darkwave with the reedists blowing ostinatos in counterpoint. This occurs during the tune’s last section, which comes in the sequence of a quieter passage patterned by marvelous sax melodies and lush guitar chords wrapped in relaxing synth effects. Later on, it’s Black’s infallible dynamics that come to prominence without ever sounding off the marks.

The quartet also scrutinizes soundscapes, projecting a comforting aura and fuzzy vibes on the amorphous “Ology”, another tune from the set of five penned by D’Angelo. Moreover, Rosenwinkel’s sedate “Bass Place” is layered with periodic ethereal cycles that come and go like the ebbs and flows of the sea. The guitarist comes to the front and center only for a brief moment here, just until D’Angelo starts to inflame the much darker final scenario with laborious bass clarinet contortions. If the structural stability is secured here, then “Lights Out”, a collective improvisation filled with fizz-toned dissonances and exquisite noises, is totally unbound.

With Human Feel’s most recent re-assemblage you have striking exchanges, sharp hooks, and consistent teamwork at your disposal. Enjoy!

Grade A-

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Imaginary Friend ► 03 - GD ► 05 - Bass Place

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Jamie Saft Quartet - Hidden Corners

Label: RareNoise, 2019

Personnel – Jamie Saft: piano; Dave Liebman: tenor and soprano saxophones, flute; Bradley Christopher Jones: acoustic bass; Hamid Drake: drums.

The penchant for spiritual sounds evinced by keyboardist Jamie Saft is widely known, especially after a successful double release on RareNoise imprint last year: Solo a Genova and Blue. The novelty of his new album, Hidden Corners, is the musicians that follow him in this restorative, empyreal journey of musical discovery. Whereas bassist Bradley Christopher Jones continues in the rhythm section, the well-versed drummer Hamid Drake occupies the chair that belonged to Nasheet Waits. In the frontline, tenorist Bill McHenry gives his place to master saxophonist Dave Liebman, who extends the sonic possibilities with the addition of flute, tenor, and soprano.

Inspired by concepts from Jewish mysticism, the eight-track album makes a start with “Positive Way”, going toward the bandleader’s confession of faith in positivism. We find Jones bowing the bass with depth in a generous contribution for the overall splendor until he shifts technique to embark on an expressive pizzicato solo whose melodic paths amaze. With Drake driving the boat with pure love for rhythm and low-key expertise and Saft accompanying with the habitual efficacy, Liebman makes an astounding entrance, rising up above the ground with lines that simultaneously strike and breathe.

Asserting freedom, “Seven are Double” creates disengaged avant-jazz momentum with Liebman’s gutsy explorations and Saft’s episodic sweeping surges and intervallic leaps. The bass configurations engendered by Jones also soar with majestic grace.

The entrancing mood of Alice Coltrane is evoked on “Yesternight”, a 3/4 modal jazz tune where the bandleader imbues every detail with intention, denoting great sensitivity across the full range of the keyboard. His glorious chords add depth and counterpoint to Liebman’s luxuriant lyricism on the title track, a 12-bar blues whose amiable physiognomy makes us relax and enjoy its sounds with an open heart.

“231 Gates” is a free-form exercise melodically driven by a whistling flute that confers it airier vibes, bringing to memory the first section of Pharaoh Sanders’ “Morning Prayer”. Conversely, “Turn At Every Moment”, propelled by Drake’s pensive cymbals and quiet drum work, elicits some intonational comparisons with Billy Strayhorn’s “Lush Life”.

The program is completed with “Landrace”, offering a strenuous yet grooving bass solo upfront, an inexhaustible swinging tide for the soprano and piano statements, and a subtle Latin pulse by the time that Liebman re-enters to ensure completion.

Saft and his peers, besides dominating the genre inside-out, have an engrossing, ardent way of improvising. They are true masters in steering us toward these healing prayer-like pieces.

Grade A

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Positive Way ► 03 - Yesternight ► 08 - Landrace

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JD Allen - Barracoon

Label: Savant, 2019

Personnel - JD Allen: tenor saxophone; Ian Kenselaar: acoustic and electric bass; Nic Cacioppo: drums.

The incomparable saxophonist JD Allen returns with his 13th album as a leader, this time in the company of two young rhythm stylists who have been playing with the tenor titan for more than a year, bassist Ian Kenselaar and drummer Nic Cacciopo. Barracoon contains 10 tight, tough compositions that confer a wider ampleness to Allen’s improvisatory ground since the style adopted often leans on the avant-garde jazz while retaining the true essence of the blues and Americana spirit.

The title track is an incendiary tour de force that shrinks and expands with bite and insight in the account of the saxophonist’s fully intonated low-pitched notes, whose extraordinary timbre resounds like a cannon. Everything falls on top of the rambunctious swinging tapestry created by bass and drums.

The inspiration for this CD was today’s political fickleness as well as the books Barracoon: The Story of The Last Black Cargo by Zora Neale Hurston and The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot, whose emotions are directly transferred to “The Immortal (H.Lacks)”. Taking the form of a lachrymose spiritual, naturally rooted in the blues and folk traditions, this tune affiliates with “13” in terms of tone, feeling, and expression. The latter piece dawns with a solo bass statement and dusks after an impactful trio reassembly for an awesome finale.

If “The Goldilocks Zone” thrives on the art of swinging, absorbing the best of tradition but giving it a blatant contemporary flair, “Beyond the Goldilocks Zone” is a tense exercise that concentrates on flying freely with unflappable conviction. Allen’s virtuosity is on display, whether searching for points of energy in brisk phrases or engendering catchy rhythmic figures to be couched and chained with perspicacity.

Kenselaar switches to electric bass on “G sus”, attesting the static backbone with competent fretwork, whereas the drummer rambles freely within the structure. “Ursa Major” also incorporates electric bass, but it's Cacioppo’s crisp drumming that is highlighted both in the concluding solo and before that, in a passage where he interacts with Allen, whose inexhaustible rhythmic ideas take the form of tongue-in-cheek remarks and sincere impulsive cries.

Both “When You Wish Upon a Star”, the standard that concludes the program, and “Communion”, a grooving phenomenon that swings with class, exhibit an effortless lightness of movement. The nature of these songs in association with Allen’s distinctive language will certainly convince possible skeptic fans who might be dealing with some sort of expectation in regard to this new trio venture.

The musicians combine their talents for the first time to powerful effect, demonstrating a ferocious appetite for opening new frontiers.

Grade A-

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Barracoon ► 06 - Beyond the Goldilocks Zone ► 07 - Communion

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