Alex Harding / Lucian Ban - Blutopia

Label: Sunnyside Records, 2024

Personnel - Alex Harding; baritone saxophone; Lucian Ban: piano; Mat Maneri; viola; Bob Stewart: tuba; Brandon Lewis: drums.

Baritonist Alex Harding and pianist Lucian Ban forged a friendship and musical collaboration around 1998 when the latter arrived in New York from Romania to attend the New School. Their first recording was for Ban’s debut album Somethin’ Holy (CIMP, 2002). With Blutopia, the pair expands the duo work presented in Dark Blue (Sunnyside, 2019), adding singular musicians such as violist Mat Maneri, tubist Bob Stewart, and drummer Brandon Lewis.

Having their musical ethos defying conventional jazz practices, the group begins hauntingly with “Speak Our Silence”, a collective improvisation that drifts slowly across the horizon, benefiting from the plodding dark sound of the tuba at the end. In the same vein but with touches of world music in its percussive tract, Ban’s “Mist” is inspired by Sun Ra, who seemed to be the inspiration for the album’s title. Paul Motian’s “Fantasm” perfectly fits the mood as an ambiguously exquisite piece limned by meditative cooing and a pleasant contrast of timbres.

Sculpted as a transcendental Eastern-tinged lament, the beautiful and hypnotic “Marrakesh”, inspired by and dedicated to the late pianist Randy Weston, showcases exceptional moments of improvisation and synchronicity between Harding and Ban. The group explores other directions, offering gospel and classical chamber narratives in Harding’s “Spirit Take My Hand” and Ban’s “Hymn”, respectively.

One of the most energetic pieces on the album is Andrew Hill’s “Blue Black”, here permeated with a monumental groove, gorgeous unison lines, and solos from Maneri, who employs his arresting exploratory melancholy to paint out of the frame, and Harding, whose bluesy wails expand into intense euphoria. Ban’s “Hieroglyphics” carries an implacably engaging blend of folk, avant-garde jazz, and fanfare-ish ragtime, with Lewis’ drumming standing out.

Blutopia underscores the maturity of these musicians who, engaged with focused attention, ascend emotional peaks together with multi-layered soulfulness.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Speak Our Silence ► 02 - Blue Black ► 06 - Marrakesh 

Oded Tzur - My Prophet

Label: ECM Records, 2024

Personnel - Oded Tzur: tenor saxophone; Nitai Hershkovits: piano; Petros Klampanis: acoustic bass; Cyrano Almeida: drums.

New York-based saxophonist and composer Oded Tzur showcases impressive evolution in My Prophet, his fifth album as a leader and third for ECM Records, featuring high-quality compositions that take the form of incantations. The quartet lineup signals one change, with the young Brazilian drummer Cyrano Almeida replacing the seasoned Johnathan Blake, while Nitai Herskovits and Petros Klampanis remain on piano and bass, respectively. 

Inspired by an all-powerful deity that reveals one's true self, the album consists of a myth-like suite of five movements, beginning with the short whisper of “Epilogue”. This leads into the hair-raising lyricism of “Child You”, where folk and post-bop currents blend seamlessly. This piece, harmoniously impressionistic in tone, showcases a conscious spiritual quality that is carried to Tzur’s gravitas-filled solo, becoming further exploratory during Hershkovits’ improvisation.

The group’s distinctive soulful sound continues in the delicate “Through a Land Unsown”, establishing a profound connection between melody and harmony. Klampanis’ bass work here is focused and dulcet, contrasting with Hershkovits’ pianism, which consistently pushes beyond what’s expected. Tzur’s saxophone radiates light in a gentle freedom dance filled with intelligent subtlety and positive vibes. While “Renata” is a clinically-sculpted waltz, “My Prophet” has the power to rarefy the air with Indian classical introspection, softly brushed to a hush until it takes the shape of a murmuring prayer.

With artistry and charismatic personality, Tzur draws in anyone seeking for a new sense of spirituality in jazz, which reaches uplifting and fervent tones in the closer, “Last Bike Ride in Paris”. Here, synergistic interplay and odd rhythmic placement make everything so exciting. As Tzur states: “there’s freedom within the form”, and that’s palpable. 

My Prophet is a magical record, a transfixing masterpiece of restraint enchantment and passionate eruptions that places Tzur at the crest of contemporary spiritual jazz. 

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Child You ► 03 - Through a Land Unsown ► 05 - My Prophet ► 06 - Last Bike Ride in Paris

John Scofield - Uncle John's Band

Label: ECM Records, 2023

Personnel - John Scofield: guitar; Vicente Archer: bass; Bill Stewart: drums.

Renowned American guitar virtuoso John Scofield, whose inspirational playing alternates between incendiary and velvety smooth, unveils a captivating new trio album that features him alongside distinctive sidemen such as bassist Vicente Archer and drummer Bill Stewart. The former rejoins the other two five years after Combo 66, while the latter has been a consistent collaborator of the guitarist since 1991. Across the 14 tunes comprising Uncle John’s Band (titled after the Grateful Dead’s 1970 folk rock song), Scofield paints a vibrant spectrum of sounds, upholding his inimitable spirit while maintaining a sharp focus and a distinct sense of identity. 

Scofield is credited with half of the material, but the record opens with a rendition of Bob Dylan’s classic, “Mr. Tambourine Man”. Droning electronics in loop accompanied by bright cymbal continuum and a resistant bass pedal underpin an introductory section that prominently features the guitar. Under the strong folksy spell of the song, Scofield opens new perspectives as his solo unfolds. Subsequently, Archer follows suit, impregnating his statement with airy waves.

The uptempo hard-bop groove of “How Deep” and the cool jazz vibe of Miles Davis/Bud Powell’s “Budo” showcase nimble jazz maneuvers executed with muscle and an unabashed swinging posture. Coming from the guitarist’s pen, “TV Band” and “Nothing is Forever” (a heartfelt tribute to his late son Evan) are loaded with generous amounts of groove, presenting a scintillating combination of melodic and chordal prowess. They are exquisitely polished to perfection in its final touches. The emotional resonance within these two pieces is particularly noteworthy.

Shifting gears, the country-tinged hues of “Back in Time” and the folk-rock essence of Neil Young’s “Old Man”, which rounds off the first disc, are seamlessly enveloped in a tasteful jazz veneer.

On CD2, the musical landscape feels even more elastic. The highlights are the frail standard jazz ballad “Stairway to the Stars”, propelled by Stewart’s sensitive brushwork; “Mo Green”, a soulful jazz-rock head-nodder with a great funky riff at the center; and “Mask”, which epitomizes jazz-funk at its best, leaving ample room for Stewart’s brilliant commentary.

Placing a high premium on sound clarity and fresh musical ideas, this album is an absolute must-listen for Scofield enthusiasts, offering a delightful collection of eclectic tunes infused with his signature electric vibe.

Favorite Tracks:
03 (CD1) - TV Band ► 06 (CD1) - Nothing is Forever ► 03 (CD2) - Mo Green ► 04 (CD2) - Mask

Wolfgang Muthspiel - Dance of the Elders

Label: ECM Records, 2023

Personnel - Wolfgang Muthspiel: guitar; Scott Colley: bass; Brian Blade: drums.

Being comfortable in a wide range of musical settings, German guitarist and composer Wolfgang Muthspiel effortlessly balances generous portions of chamber jazz, folk, post-bop, and classical music with clarity. It’s no surprise that his musical endeavors stand out from the crowd, avoiding trends in the current sonic zeitgeist. Following up on his trio debut (Angular Blues, 2020) with rhythm stalwarts Scott Colley and Brian Blade on bass and drums, respectively, Dance of the Elders reveals how they honed their collective sound after extensive touring in 2022.

Muthspiel’s “Invocation” is an immediate standout. The radiance of the introduction is dazzling, with two guitar lines working in harmony, leading us to the immersive, tranquil, and spacious atmosphere of the trio. Earlier, we have a reflective bass statement while the cymbal and drum colors, revealing a refined taste, hold the entire piece together. Muthspiel’s guitarism is magnetic throughout, bringing magic to a soulful fingerpicked vamp that shines with synth guitar ideas on top, thoughtful bowed bass, and understated drumming.

If the latter piece exhibits bluesy and folksy complexions, then “Prelude to Bach” is a zero-gravity studio improvisation driven by acoustic guitar, inviting us us to relax with a spontaneous reading of Bach’s chorale “O Sacred Head, Now Wounded”. The classical influence blends seamlessly with edgy post-bop on “Dance of the Elders”, an erudite hybrid excursion in five with intercalated passages in 4/4 tempo. It’s a team effort with beautifully cadenced accents and polyrhythmic intent, where the trio plays as one.

Two of the seven compositions are covers. Kurt Weill/Bertold Brecht “Liebeslied” is a comforting jazz waltz delivered with probing solos from bass and guitar, whereas “Amelia” is a sure-footed folk-jazz hymn written by Joni Mitchell and dedicated to American aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart. The latter number closes the album in intimate communication, but before that, we still have two Muthspiel compositions: “Folksong” and “Cantus Bradus”. The former, inspired by giant pianist Keith Jarrett, has the three instruments singing with a fine infusion of rustic and sophistication expression before getting slightly funkified at the bottom by Colley and Blade; the latter piece, motivated by pianist Brad Mehldau’s certain way of playing, flirts with the melodic impetuousness of baroque and flamenco. The jazz phrasing gives it a proper fusion touch.

Leveraging the often-telepathic interplay between his trio mates, Muthspiel creates music that gravitates toward enjoyable textures and narratives. This album is no small accomplishment.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Invocation ► 03 - Dance of the Elders ► 06 - Cantus Bradus

Sinikka Langeland - Wind and Sun

Label: ECM Records, 2023

Personnel - Sinikka Langeland: voice, kantele, Jew’s harp; Trygve Seim: tenor and soprano saxophone; Mathias Eick: trumpet; Mats Eilertssen: bass; Thomas Strønen: drums.

Norwegian vocalist and kantele player, Sinikka Langeland, makes a return with an ace roster of Norwegian bandmates after the release of her excellent solo album, Wolf Rune (ECM, 2021), whose musical enchantments are not matched here. Nevertheless, this sometimes enthralling, sometimes touching sonic journey offers much to appreciate as the band, originally assembled for celebration concerts in honor of the bandleader’s 60th birthday, paints scenic landscapes with their individual stamp. Here, Langeland plays the 5, 18 and 39-string variations of kantele, a traditional Finnish instrument, and sings the poems of Jon Fosse, whose quests of faith and proclivity for mysticism serve the folk nature of the music. 

The album opens with “Row My Ocean”, a beautiful song also featured on her previous album. The new arrangement weaves it into a feathery web that is both tranquil and emotional. Trumpeter Mathias Eick, a new addition, and saxophonist Trygve Seim, a frequent collaborator, discourse simultaneously, while Mats Eilertsen’s bowed bass adds another melodic layer. The horn players once again alternate lines in the sung version of “Wind and Sun”, whereas the instrumental version allows some tension to erupt from the pacified atmosphere. This is achieved through a swiftly plucked bass pedal and the varied percussion options - ranging from rattles to gongs to cymbals - introduced by drummer Thomas Strønen.

Set in motion by an admirable bass delineation, “It Walks and Walks” carries a mournful tone, interspersed with a few rays of light during Seim’s tenor statement. This spirit borders the introspective ambient folk of “A Child Exists”, which bathes in minimalistic waters, and differs from “When the Heart is a Moon”, a levelheaded folk pop song with a well-defined harmonic progression, as well as “The Love”, an unexpected rhythmic digression into warm bossa nova territory.

Segueing from theme to theme, with kantele comping slithering underneath, the album comes to an end with “You Hear My Heart Come”, a soothing waltzing piece with a jazzy feel and solo space. Preceding this, Langeland showcases her skills on the Jew’s harp in “Wind Song”, evoking the essence of the Earth with linearity and expressive freedom.

Langeland doesn’t reinvent the wheel with this album, but that’s not the point. Each song carries its share of pathos and incantation, illuminated by her captivating voice and absorbing playing.

Favorite Tracks: 
01 - Row My Ocean ► 08 - The Love ► 12 - You Hear My Heart Come

Rudy Royston Flatbed Buggy - Day

Label: Greenleaf Music, 2023

Personnel - John Ellis: bass clarinet; Hank Roberts: cello; Gary Versace: accordion; Joe Martin: bass; Rudy Royston: drums.

American drummer Rudy Royston, who has imbued the trios of JD Allen and Bill Frisell with refined rhythmic propulsions, releases Day, a strong second installment from his Flatbed Buggy, a quintet with a peculiar instrumentation. The group has no shifts in the lineup, relying on the powerful low sonorities of John Ellis on bass clarinet and Hank Roberts on cello, and counterweighting them with the soft accordion lines of Gary Versace. Joe Martin locks in with the drummer for a stable yet adaptable foundation.

For this new album (dedicated to his late brother Ritchie and to his music mentor and collaborator Ron Miles), Royston sonically depicts a full day of quarantine in a compelling narrative with varied moods and dynamics. Everything starts with and in the “Morning”, a simpatico number delivered with chamber tonalities and a celebratory folk manner to which the group intensely connects. Accordion, bass clarinet and cello are on the loose, while a playful groove runs at a lower level.

The modern folk-jazz vibe evinced on “Thank You For the Day” has its origin in plucked cello activity, which is soon combined with a bass pedal point and scintillating cymbal proceedings. Ellis makes his horn sing beautifully in the improvisation that ensues. 

Penned by Martin, “Limeni Village” sounds polished and jazzier, but with adequate doses of abstraction. The drum fills are delightful, and Royston expands his language during the final vamp, after an immersive dialogue that occurs between Versace and Ellis. “The Mokes” carries a tango-ish feel, dropping a surprising 14-beat cycle vamp before closing, whereas the instantly catchy “Five Thirty Strut” displays a gorgeous drum intro, embracing a jubilant spirit that ends up expeditiously swinging.

Less effusive are “Look to the Hills” and “Missing You”. The former has a contemplative inception, slowly revealing an asymmetric structure caused by additive meter signatures {7+8}. The latter, a moving hyper-breathable ballad that waltzes resplendently, is the most beautiful piece on the album.  

Despite of the topic, one doesn’t find nebulous atmospheres in Royston’s music. All is palpable and good-natured, eschewing flashy pyrotechnics in favor of empathetic interplay and folksy melodicism. Day is a wonderful album from an articulate drummer whose sound is contagious. 

Favorite Tracks:
03 - Limeni Village ► 06 - Five Thirty Strut ► 07 - Missing You

Bill Frisell - Four

Label: Blue Note Records, 2022

Personnel - Bill Frisell: guitar; Gregory Tardy: tenor saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet; Gerald Clayton: piano; Johnathan Blake: drums.

The unmatchable American guitarist and composer Bill Frisell soars his six-string chords in the company of long-time collaborator Gregory Tardy on reeds, and recent partners: pianist Gerald Clayton and drummer Johnathan Blake. Four is Frisell’s third outing on the Blue Note imprint, and consists entirely of originals - nine newly composed and four taken from two previously recorded albums. They form a wonderful set of folk-rooted meditations on loss, renewal and friendship.

The record is dedicated to the late cornetist Ron Miles, but some specific tracks pay tribute to some of Frisell’s recently departed friends. The opener, “Dear Old Friend (for Alan Woodward)” is a solo-less, far-from-overwrought country song with a lullaby-ish melody. There’s also the gently persuasive “Waltz for Hal Willner”, and the wonderful collective work of “Claude Utley”, which celebrates the amazingly colorful painter of the same name, a native from Seattle who passed away in September 2021. This piece, carrying a post-bop leverage, incorporates the tenets of the bandleader’s style. Clayton gets the spotlight in the introductory section, after which an inducted three time feel stimulates Frisell and Tardy (on clarinet) to provide counterpoint.

The 3/4 time signature dominates great part of the album, and besides two of the above-mentioned pieces, you can also hear it on the expressively bluesy “Monroe”, the softly brushed “Wise Woman”, and also “Good Dog. Happy Man”, a folk piece that sports a jubilant optimism. Both latter tunes, together with the Americana-soaked ballad “The Pioneers” were previously recorded, just like the classic “Lookout For Hope”, here re-sculpted with a dreamy feel that binds the tearfully intoned bass clarinet and the warm sounds of guitar and piano.

“Invisible” navigates tranquil waters with silken melodicism, while “Holiday”, more playful, has the group tossing in organic doses of slight funk, whose freedom starts in Blake’s nimble snare rhythms.

The members’ attentive listening to one another are not hard to find, but “Dog on a Roof” is definitely special. It closes out the album in absolute delight, going from abstraction - made of relentless ostinatos, drones and other surprising effects - to an hypnotic melody-driven passage that vamps and waltzes in the background.

Displaying intelligent, anti-show-off conversations delivered with controlled intensities and precise color combinations, Four reaffirms the depth of Frisell’s musical vision.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Claude Utley ► 06 - Lookout For Hope ► 13 - Dog on a Roof

JD Allen - Americana Vol. 2

Label: Savant Records, 2022

Personnel - JD Allen: tenor saxophone; Charlie Hunter: guitar; Gregg August: bass; Rudy Royston: drums.

Saxophonist/composer JD Allen has been hailed as one of the most creative musicians of our time. His work is varied and resulted in several tour de force albums, but he found a particular voice in the American roots by playing the blues and folk songs with a unique touch. The album Americana came out in 2016, and its follow-up, Americana vol. 2, is here, a testament-in-sound that reflects the plight of southern Black sharecroppers and their early mid-1900’s exodus to the North and Midwest.

This idea frames the entire album, which features longtime associates, bassist Gregg August and drummer Rudy Royston, as well as a new partner: Charlie Hunter on guitar. Playing eight of the 11 tracks, the latter shows to be fully equipped to join the trio, and that becomes evident right from the start. “Up South” alludes to Detroit, Michigan, intensifying our imagination with vast plantations and sparse dedicated farms in operation. Here, Auggust lays down a 12-beat-cycle bass substratum that supports the intense guitar and torrid saxophone playing.

“The Battle of Blair Mountain” sonically depicts the 1921 labor uprising and armed resistance in West Virginia, sounding half-heroic and half-doleful in its procedures. The flickering vibrations of Hunter’s guitar makes it a harmonically expansive workout, and its mood gets closer to the traditional song “This World is a Mean World”, where Allen demonstrates to dominate the language profoundly. This last piece opposes to the sweet ballad “You Don’t Know Me”, a country song turned standard by Ray Charles in 1962, which doesn't fall outside the scope of the record. The triple time feel of “The Werk Song” also contrasts with the uptempo 4/4 of “Hammer and Hoe”, a piece that, inspired by the historian Robin Kelley’s book of the same name, depicts the struggling black farmers with enough sonic abrasion to make us sweat. 

Three pieces are stripped down to the trio format, allowing some tension to break underneath the seemingly idyllic surfaces. They are: “Jackie and Johnny”, notably delivered with an abstract feel and disengaged posture; “Mickey and Mallory”, a communicative effort with a strong bass pedal and coruscating brushwork by Royston; and “A Mouthful of Forevers”, which features arco bass in brooding cogitation with the sax and drums.

This is another brilliantly assembled work by Allen, who demonstrates his command of the saxophone and the genre proposed with articulated lucidity.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Up South ► 02 - This World is a Mean World ► 09 - The Battle of Blair Mountain