Label: Red Brick Hill, 2026

Personnel - Harry Skoler: clarinet; Bill Frisell: guitar; Dezron Douglas: bass; Johnathan Blake: drums.

With a voice unmistakably his own, clarinetist and composer Harry Skoler traverses a variety of open-ended atmospheres, displaying an instinctive ability to merge traditional jazz language with contemporary sensibilities in ways that continue to shape his artistic identity. On his seventh album as a leader, Echoes—a tribute to his jazz heroes—Skoler is joined by guitar visionary Bill Frisell and reunited with the rhythm section from Red Brick Hill (Sunnyside, 2024): bassist Dezron Douglas and drummer Johnathan Blake. Produced once again by saxophonist Walter Smith III, the album draws from familiar ingredients while embracing a welcome sense of risk through occasional ventures into avant-garde territory.

“Evocation” and “Allusion”, two irresistibly poignant clarinet-guitar duets, open and close the album with understated beauty. Short atmospheric interludes appear throughout, but “Study in Orange”—dedicated to pianist Bill Evans—marks the first rhythmically compelling moment, propelled by the superb interplay of Douglas and Blake, who know precisely when to intensify and when to simply sustain the flow. Frisell settles into an introspective, cinematic mood, while Skoler’s clarinet lines evoke dreamlike imagery and quiet fantasy.

“JW, Michelangelo & 40 Cent Burger”—a tribute to pianist James Williams—features Douglas’ bass dancing gracefully over a lilting waltz pulse. The bassist initiates the improvisational sequence before Frisell contributes a highly methodical and texturally rich solo, followed by Skoler, who makes a vivid impression by pushing beyond conventional boundaries with passionate phrasing.

“Marian”, dedicated to pianist Marian McPartland, possesses the softness and elegance of velvet, while “Thank You”—for Teddy Wilson—may appear elusive in direction yet reveals intriguing rhythmic dynamics and groove interplay. “Waiting Patiently”, honoring clarinetist Benny Goodman, is stirred effervescently in a vamping 3/4 flux marked by a sturdy groove.

“Pow!”—a salute to vibraphone master Lionel Hampton—takes shape as a whimsical avant-garde excursion, centered on riff-based volleys against a slower harmonic backdrop and Blake’s restless percussive agitation. It also includes an unaccompanied drum passage. The quartet’s gift for expanding minimal material into richly textured interaction is equally evident on “Never Played in Syracuse”, dedicated to Miles Davis, a cyclical funk-infused pop-rock piece where Skoler improvises fervently over distorted guitar harmonies.

The quartet has developed a genuine musical empathy that radiates throughout the recording, making Echoes an album that rewards repeated listening.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Study in Orange ► 03 - JW, Michelangelo & the 40 Cent Burger ► 11 - Pow!

Label: Rune Grammofon, 2023

Personnel includes - Mats Gustafsson: baritone saxophone, flute; Mette Rasmussen: alto sax, flute; Fredrik Ljungkvist; tenor sax; Joe McPhee: tenor sax, vocals; Per ‘Texas' Johansson: oboe, bassoon, contrabass clarinet, bass clarinet, flute; Mats Äleklint: trombone; Susana Santos Silva: trumpet; Goran Kajfes: trumpet; Per Åke Holmlander: tuba; Sten Sandell: piano; Alex Zethson: piano; Reine Fiske: guitar; Johan Berthling: electric and acoustic bass; Andreas Werliin; drums; Thomas Öberg: vocals; Mariam Wallentin: vocals; David Sandström: vocals; Juan Romero: percussion, berimbau; and more.

Constantly evolving, the Fire! Orchestra welcomes you to the hippy cosmos of their progressive symphonic journeys with a new double-disc outing of enormous impact. The band creates staggering momentum with each recording and Echoes is no exception to the rule.

The opening piece, “Echoes: I See Your Eye, Part 1” boasts a laid-back groove with strings surrounding it. There’s a glorious cinematic feel that steps further when Mats Gustafsson - he founded the ensemble in 2012 with bassist Johan Berthling and drummer Andreas Werliin - unleashes a heartfelt saxophone statement loaded with warping laments and rumbling growls. The second part of this piece bookends the album with vocals by Joe McPhee. The American saxophonist brings his flaming horn to “Echoes: Last Eyes in the Dying Hand”, a 14-minute expedition that experiences electro-vibes prior to bursting into a violent detonation of sound. The vocals here are by David Sandstrom from the hardcore punk group Refused, and there’s a vibraphone-driven passage spruced up with polyphonic horn lines. It ends frenetically, with acrid explosiveness.

The haunting vocal work by Mariam Wallentin is featured on “Echoes: to Gather it All. Once”, an alternative pop/rock exercise that brings Nick Cave's Birthday Party to mind. Despite the bittersweetness, the piece is propelled gently with brushes while displaying a consistent riff sidelined by the voice. It also includes a fine trombone solo by Mats Aleklint.

The bracing jolt of “Echoes: a Last Farewell” is carved out with tuba, rattling percussion, and then a cyclical bass groove that evokes space-age freedom. Sun Ra and Art Ensemble of Chicago are references that we can also associate with “Echoes: Cala Boca Menino”. This soulful Brazilian tune with a smooth funky pulse was composed by Dorival Caymmi and arranged by João Donato, with lyrics by Swedish singer Thomas Öberg. The title translates into ‘shut your mouth, boy”.

The piece I just mentioned is not the only Brazilian-inspired flow. The strophic “Echoes: Forest Without Shadows” extracts shamanic energy from its 2/4 frevo drive with prominent percussion work at the base, tight strings, and bustling solos from trumpet and alto sax. There’s also this comfortable capoeira dance, “Nothing Astray. All Falling”, which features Juan Romero on berimbau. Just like this one, there are other shorter pieces that explore several soundscapes with Eastern tinges, sinister drones, chiming bells, tortuous and buzzing horn sounds, strident guitar, and other avant-garde forays.

Fire! Orchestra gets better and better with time; its music is never messy, even when they delve into infectiously unbridled, rapid-fire jaunts.