Brandon Ross Phantom Station - Off the End

Label: Sunnyside Records, 2024

Personnel - Brandon Ross: electric guitar, soprano guitar, vocals; Graham Haynes: cornet, electronics; David Virelles: piano, keyboards; JT Lewis: drums; Hardedge: sound design.

American guitarist Brandon Ross ventures into the realm of free experimentalism with Phantom Station, a project that originated as a duo with sound designer Hardedge but has now expanded into a quintet with the addition of seasoned cornetist Graham Haynes, skillful Cuban pianist David Virelles, and versatile drummer JT Lewis. Off the End is a sprawling live suite that spans over an hour, exploring a spectrum of dark musings and illuminated spaces for contrast. 

Working in the moment, the group creates spontaneously, guided by the feeling in hand and intuition. “May Forever Pass Between” opens the album with percussive chops and enigmatic sounds, including eerie whistles and high-pitched vibrations, courtesy of Hardedge and Lewis. The highly explorative “Through the Heart of my Demarcation” unfolds with long cornet notes and intermittent electronic drones, evoking a dark ambient atmosphere propelled by Lewis’ rolling rhythm. Virelles demonstrates why he’s a sought-after pianist, throwing blobby bass lines with his left hand, and then whirling at full speed with the right. At this point, the density is thick, further escalated by Ross’ distorted surges. The piece culminates in a mystery redolent of Badalamenti’s Twin Peaks film score.

“The Gate is Open” introduces vocals by Ross, accompanied by synth undulation, bluesy guitar cries, and apt cornet melodies for a smooth atmospheric texture. “Your Shoes Point Like Arrows” relies on a deep drone substratum to support Haynes’ remarkable upper-register blowing, occasional piano bursts, and caustic guitar incisions. Akin to the latter, Ross summons up a dense nest of notes (this time playing soprano guitar) on “I Can See All of This”, whose gleeful balladry becomes harmonically palpable thanks to Virelles’ brilliant work. Yet, Haynes is off-the-hook here, transcending cliché with unimaginable note choices. It all moves toward a loose end with noodling guitar, utopian piano perspectives, and coruscating brushwork.

Right after the doleful “How Will I Ornament Your Mouth”, comes “Sometimes I Stand Behind You”, which features stark counterpoint and shifting rhythmic cadenzas. However, the standout piece is “Leave it on the Ground”, an avant-garde, sometimes-bluesy affair underpinned by loose-limbed brushes and irregular piano chords, allowing ample room for responsiveness, fragmentation, and diffusion. 

Navigating between light and darkness, Brandon Ross Phantom Station delivers a ceremony that is both loose-jointed and tightly focused, revealing a fearless spirit unbound by stylistic constraints.

Favorite Tracks:
04 - Your Shoes Point Like Arrows ► 05 - I Can See All of This ► 10 - Leave it on the Ground

Dan Weiss - Even Odds

Label: Cygnus Recordings, 2024

Personnel - Miguel Zénon: alto saxophone; Matt Mitchell: piano; Dan Weiss: drums.

Drummer and composer Dan Weiss emerges as a rhythmic magician on his captivating new album, Even Odds, infusing every beat and spark with profound meaning and context. With a rare ability to craft narratives through music, Weiss collaborates with saxophonist Miguel Zénon and keyboardist Matt Mitchell to deliver an intriguing collection of six written compositions and provocative improvisations. On the latter, he provides risk-taking, magnetic rhythmic tapestries on top of which his trio mates create freely.

From the frantic energy of “It is What it is”, where pulsating angularity evolves into a dynamic rhythmic tapestry punctuated by insistent saxophone attacks, articulated piano flurries, and Weiss' rock and African-tinged drumming, to the reflective poignancy of Weiss' compositions “The Children of Uvalde” and “Ititrefen", each track offers a unique exploration of its thematic elements. The former piece, written in response to a tragic school shooting in Texas, unfolds as an elegiac ballad with intriguing harmonic vibrations, while the latter pays tribute to Wayne Shorter's “Nefertiti” in a clever reversal of the title.

“Fathers and Daughters” celebrates parenthood with more tenderness than friction, while “Max Roach”, fueled by a fabulously syncopated drum work, delves into the secrets behind the late drummer’s playing in Charlie Parker’s “Klactoveedsedstene”. Weiss also pays homage to Pakistani singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan in “Nusrat”, infusing an irresistible, chilled-out nu-beat that resulted from transplanting a Qawwali tabla rhythm into the drum set.

Among the impromptu material, the following provocative pieces stand out: “Bu”, a free-form communicative effort whose principle consists in a pattern by iconic drummer Art Blakey; “Rising”, which sets a visceral shuffling beat against tranquil saxophone and piano lines; “M and M”, placing fractal saxophone runs and galloping motifs side by side with piano constellations built in clever intervals; and “Five to Nine”, laced with odd-metered undercurrents and contrapuntal interplay. 

Each track, whether composed or improvised, serves as a testament to Weiss’ multifaceted, brainy sense of rhythm and his peers’ facility to connect and expand musical horizons. Even Odds offers results that, transporting listeners beyond ordinary realms, invites them to embrace the extraordinary.

Favorite Tracks:
09 - Five To Nine ► 14 - Max Roach ► 20 - Nusrat

Fire! - Testament

Label: Rune Grammofon Records, 2024

Personnel - Mats Gustafsson: baritone saxophone; Johan Berthling: bass; Andreas Werliin: drums.

The explorative Swedish trio Fire! - comprising saxophonist Mats Gustafsson, bassist Johan Berthling, and drummer Andreas Werliin - first convened in 2009 before expanding successfully into an orchestra. Their eighth album, Testament, comprises five tracks presented in a more skeletal form, stripped down to pure sax-bass-drums tapestries devoid of electronics or additional elements. All the same, these cuts exalt the artistic and improvisatory leanings of the musicians.

“Work Song for a Scattered Past” imposes circularity with a patterned bass phrase, invigorated by dynamic drumming and growling saxophone blows. They elastically push apart but, at the end, converge into consonance. “The Dark Inside of Cabbage” displays relaxed if lumbering baritone lines over a rhythmic bed of bass drones and skittering drum chatters.

“Four Ways of Dealing With One Way” unfolds as a hypnotic, repetitive exercise, its mutable saxophone tones deceptively floating through time. Gustafsson’s performance on “Running Bison, Breathing Entity, Sleeping Reality” captivates as he blends growling expressions, breathing techniques, multiphonics, and a mix of popping and flapping sounds filled with rich tonal resonances. Over time, it becomes chanty with the assistance of rumbling and tidy bass as well as percussion, gradually evolving into a mesmerizing slowcore enchantment.

Strangely accessible, the album comes to a close with “One Testament, One Aim, One More to Go, Again”, where a plain eight-beat cycle bass figure, neatly backed by Werliin’s understated percussion, gives free rein to a smoky rock stride and flavorful Eastern influences. Testament was recorded live in the studio on analog tape and expertly mixed by renowned rock audio engineer Steve Albini.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Work Song for a Scattered Past ► 04 - Running Bison, Breathing Entity, Sleeping Reality ► 05 - One Testament, One Aim, One More to Go, Again

Dave Harrington / Max Jaffe / Patrick Shiroishi - Speak, Moment

Label: AKP Recordings, 2024

Personnel - Dave Harrington: guitar, electronics; Max Jaffe: drums, sensory percussion, effects; Patrick Shiroishi: saxophones, bells, tambourine.

The trio co-led by guitarist Dave Harrington, drummer Max Jaffe, and saxophonist Patrick Shiroishi delivers deeply improvisatory yet subtly nuanced performances in their debut album, Speak, Moment. Comprising five collective improvisations recorded in a single afternoon, the album explores atmospheric sonic environments with intuition and spontaneity.

The album opens with the guard-down rubato balladry of “Staring Into the Imagination (of Your Face)”, whose wispy contemplative tone results from tranquil saxophone melodies with slightly dissonant slips and vibrato, ambient guitar, and coruscating brushwork with incidence on cymbals. At the end, we can hear an arpeggiated sax phrase that repeats with electronics in the background. “How to Draw Buildings” has Harrington assembling droning persistence, Eastern melodies, and rock experimentalist over Jaffe’s shamanic percussion. The sounds become weepier as the piece progresses.

“Dance of the White Shadow and Golden Kite” takes the form of a hypnotic elliptical dance with strange exoticism exuding from the rich timbres of the rhythm. There’s admirable saxophone work and effects here, and the overall picture transports us to some eclectic ECM albums by Jan Garbarek and Collin Walcott. Contrasting with the other pieces, “Ship Rock” channels the skronky guitarism of Sonny Sharrock, in a combination of shredding, staccato-infused electric guitar, fleet saxophone lines, and high-strung drumming.

The album concludes with “Return in 100 Years, the Colors Will be at Their Peak”, a foray into freer territory after walking a tightrope between Eastern and American sounds. Tidal guitar waves are pelted with distortion, the saxophone toggles between gravitation and compression, and the percussion mutates with elasticity. It ends with raspy droplets of guitar, while angular asymmetric saxophone lines fizz between the cracks. 

Sharing a positive and open affiliation, this trio delves into charming ambiances with an impulse to disrupt the norms and redraw the lines.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - How to Draw Buildings ► 03 - Dance of the White Shadow and Golden Kite ► 05 - Return in 100 Years, the Colors Will Be at Their Peak

Ivo Perelman - Seven Skies Orchestra

Label: Fundacja Sluchaj, 2023

Personnel - Ivo Perelman: tenor sax; Nate Wooley: trumpet; Mat Maneri: viola; Fred Lonberg-Holm: cello; Joe Morris: bass; Matt Moran: vibes.

Brazilian saxophonist Ivo Perelman stands as an unwavering improviser who refuses to tread standardized paths. His open-mindedness and creativity are mirrored in an extensive discography of duos and trios, but his latest release, Seven Skies Orchestra, is a chamber improvisational work that offers a rare opportunity to hear him leading a larger ensemble of fantastic sonic painters. He pairs up with trumpeter Nate Wooley in the frontline, having vibist Matt Moran providing sinuous harmonic context, and a trio of string players - violist Mat Maneri, cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm, and bassist Joe Morris - designing a multitude of paths with color and detail. The double album comprises ten improvised expositions, but for the present review, I’m going to focus on disc one.

In “Part One”, Moran’s transcendent vibes sets the stage, later backed by Morris’ loose foundation over which Perelman and Wooley engage in a dialogue with unccpompromised freedom. It’s like listening to a superbly articulated conversation whose intensity ebbs and flows whimsically. The protagonists change, dialoguing often in pairs, with logic and abandon. By the end, we are presented with nicely robust and exquisitely shapeless passages.

“Part Two” commences with expert slides and glides, with Wooley infusing sinuous phrases and Perelman responding with contrasting low-register blows, circular patterns, and thrilling staccatos. This occurs while Maneri and Lonberg-Holm instill a folk innuendo into the avant-jazz setting, and the piece becomes almost collectively mantric, in an expression of unity that goes beyond improvisation.

The introductory interplay of “Part Three” stems from the cogitation of the instruments clashing and acquiescing in a positive manner. It’s a pondering piece that builds to a peak with a tenor improvisation over bass and vibes, in a more contemplative demonstration of the group’s capacities.

The music constantly lives of dynamism and mood shifts, and “Part Four” is here to prove it. It can be busy and tumultuous one minute, hushed and cool the next.
Perelman always considers new collaborators to explore fresh sounds and expand musical horizons. Seven Skies Orchestra stands as a singular entry in his extensive body of work.

Favorite Tracks (CD1):
01 - Part One ► 02 - Part Two ► 04 - Part Four

Rich Halley - Fire Within

Label: Pine Eagle Records, 2023

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

Fire Within, the fully improvised third recording by Rich Halley with the trio of pianist Matthew Shipp - featuring bassist Michael Bisio and drummer Newman Taylor Baker - unfolds as a speculative fiction, coherently weaving elements from both the past and the present. 

Rooted more in the earthy than the cosmic, the album opens with the title track, “Fire Within”, where Halley unleashes feverish Coltrane staples against the instinctive drive of the rhythm section. Shipp, swinging along with inventive pulsations and advanced melodic and harmonic approaches, reaches epic proportions in his comping when Halley takes the lead. Baker seizes an unaccompanied moment, bringing his carefully chosen timbres and excellent technique to the fore prior to the beautiful melodicism that concludes the piece.

On “Inferred”, the meticulous and devotional bass work by Bisio comes first, and the piece evolves from balladic tones to a more vigorous, busy, and highly explorative passage with intensive saxophone blows. Shipp follows with a piano monologue, validating his status as a progressive thinker and the source of many propulsive motions.

While “Through Still Air” invites musing reflections with smooth, cerebral playing, “Angular Logic” takes on a dancing quality, digging in deep and never letting up. You’ll find marching routines in Baker’s snare moves, with Shipp interjecting lower-register harmonic chunks and bewildering right-hand whirls in his mercurial exploration of rhythmic cadences.

Aptly titled, “Following the Stream” kicks off with well-rounded drums before acquiring a loose feel, at times impetuous. A lilting breeze is embraced when Shipp is at the helm, and Halley joins the invitation, throwing in motifs. The piece ends with lines and accentuations reminiscent of Coltrane and Art Blakey, respectively.

Halley adeptly navigates textures with genuine sensibility, while the rhythm team surprises listeners with their ability to intuitively connect. Fire Within brims with contagious ideas, showcasing the synergy and creativity of the quartet.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Fire Within ► 02- Inferred ► 03 - Angular Logic

Rodrigo Amado The Bridge - Beyond the Margins

Label: Trost Records, 2023

Personnel - Rodrigo Amado: tenor saxophone; Alexander von Schlippenbach; piano; Ingebrigt Haker Flaten: bass; Gerry Hemingway: drums.

The Portuguese saxophonist Rodrigo Amado has consistently explored the outer boundaries of improvised jazz, striving to breaking new ground at each new collaboration. His latest recording, Beyond the Margins, features an international quartet known as The Bridge, with German pianist Alexander von Schlippenbach, Norwegian bassist Ingebrigt Haker Flaten, and American drummer Gerry Hemingway. This three-track album is a leap forward for Amado who, fully committed to bringing expressivity and energy to the setting, extracts the utmost from the group’s push-and-pull inventiveness.

The journey begins with the title cut, a sprawling 40-minute piece filled with spontaneous detours, a bountiful fruit of their visionary creativity. Amado’s tenor, skillfully bending notes to create a sense of delightful dissonance in the phrasing, dances atop a dreamlike Coltranean texture that, steering away from melancholy, soon escalates in density and intensity. The music follows a focused direction, painted by amorphous bass moves and colorful drum work. Burnished high-range saxophone lines and agile piano take turns in the melodic thread, and we realize these musicians respect each other’s spaces within the framework.
Fine melodies and balanced rhythmic cadences are complemented with bright figures, which usually culminate in moments of visceral impact. Tricky harmonic choices, crisp angularity, and staggering rhythms are all part of the music tapestry. As the piece unfolds, we have expansion and contraction as expected, ending with a swinging eruption driven by Haker Flaten, who previously had operated with arco, and Hemingway, a sophisticated drummer who infuses meticulously placed rhythms throughout.

A piano riff sets “Personal Mountains” in motion, soon joined by bracing drumming, candid bass lines, and folk-inspired saxophone chants that gain further expression in “(visiting) Ghosts”. The latter, a free interpretation of Albert Ayler’s original piece, plays out like a spiritual ballad at the outset before exploding with energy.

Amado and The Bridge demonstrate a remarkable ability to work at both micro and macro levels, crafting moments that captivate the attention of open-eared listeners. Alternating between apparent stagnancy, simmering tension, and fiery explosions, this is a record free jazzers should go for.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Beyond the Margins ► 02 - Personal Mountains

Nicole Mitchell & Alexander Hawkins - At Earth School

Label: Astral Spirits Records, 2023

Personnel - Nicole Mitchell: flute, voice; Alexander Hawkins: piano, bells.

American flutist Nicole Mitchell and British pianist Alexander Hawkins stand as two indelible forces in the avant-garde jazz scene. Mandorla Awakening II: Emerging World (FPE Records, 2017) and Togetherness Music (Intakt, 2021), respectively, are stunning albums that I personally consider essential listening experiences.

Recorded live last year at London’s Cafe OTO, this duo effort brings their adept improvising skills and bubbling chemistry to the fore while seamlessly transitioning from soothing atmospheres to intense avant-garde expression. Exuding fascination, “Miracle Witness” immediately earns our ears and hearts through an impeccably intoned flute whose reflective melodies shine over the dreamy piano textures that support them.

Both “Interlocking Imaginations” and the closing piece, “Flicker Bounce Glide”, are more agitated, maintaining a dynamic rhythmic quality that never compromises responsiveness in their interplay. On the latter, Mitchell, toggling between flute and voice, operates over the resilient pulsing vivacity that emerges from Hawkins’ nimble pianism.

A complex mesh of avant-garde and modern classical elements often enriches these pieces’ tapestries. “What Are You Afraid of”, a confrontational rumination on fear, freedom, and truth, is stirred by Mitchell’s provocative narration, before segueing into “There is a Balm in Gilead”, a traditional African American spiritual delivered with elegant tenderness.

“The Stars are Listening” evokes the sounds of a primeval forest, breathing ample air via tinkling bell sounds, sparse piano notes (with occasional extended techniques), and multi-timbral flute calls. On the other hand, “Jalopy Ride” is an inventive blues piece delivered with a modern striding technique, showcasing the twosome’s ability to play with no particular concern with time. They definitely ear each other, interacting with bold shapes of their own.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Miracle Witness ► 03 - Jalopy Ride ► 09 - Flicker Bounce Glide

Hery Paz - Jardineros

Label: 577 Records, 2023

Personnel - Hery Paz: saxophone, flute, piano, suona; Román Díaz: percussion, voice; Francisco Mela: drums.

With an uncanny ability to mix freedom and substance, the Cuban-born, New York-based multi-instrumentalist and painter Hery Paz surprises and enchants at every step of his new recording, one that evokes his fascinating, rich and complex cultural identity. Jardineros is a powerful statement made in the company of two fellow countrymen with advanced percussive skills - Román Díaz and Francisco Mela.

The two-minute opener, “Calle Libertad”, is based on the Cuban traditional rhythm Danzón. It throws agile folk-soaked flute lines on top of the deep, resonant tones of Diaz’s bonkó enchemiya drum. Paz embraces the duo format on two other ocasions, both with Mela, who makes use of his diverse drum-sound palette: “Arroyo Lajas”, which, adopting a free jazz posture, showcases Paz’s sturdy tenor sound and breathtaking language; and “Miel de la Tierra”, which merges Cuban folklore and unchained expression with a bright sense of vitality. By switching from flute to saxophone, the bandleader fires up the infectious avant-garde jazz foray that concludes the latter piece.

“Jardineros” is set in motion with crisp alignments between sax and flute, lively drum sounds, and cymbal shimmering. On this cut, calls and responses are triggered by a numbered series of symbolic drawings, but it’s the coiling tenor lines that seem to be in command, straddling between motivic chants and avant-jazz diffusion. Totally different timbres come to the fore on “Conga Espirituana”, where Paz plays two suonas simultaneously, a traditional double-reed Chinese instrument that gives the music a strange Eastern spell. It floats right above the percussive haze of Afro-Cuban rhythms in an evocation of spiritual roots and nature.

“Comunión”, an instrumental marked by irresistible interplay, displays syncopated conga cadences, restrained drumming, and focused tenor blows. It contrasts with the two numbers that accommodate lyrics - “El Real de las Palmas” was written by Diaz, who also provides a wonderful narration of the text. Paz’s piano work - sometimes abstract, sometimes mysterious - runs in the background. In turn, “Barrio del Jobo” was penned by Paz, and captures the nostalgia for his land and family.

Upending the jazz world with a multi-cultural vision that goes beyond the conventional, Paz is a musical force to be reckoned with.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Jardineros ► 03 - Arroyo Lajas ► 06 - Miel de la Tierra

Peter Brotzmann / Majid Bekkas / Hamid Drake - Catching Ghosts

Label: ACT, 2023

Personnel - Peter Brotzmann: tenor saxophone, clarinet; Majid Bekkas: guembri, voice; Hamid Drake: drums, percussion.

The late German saxophonist Peter Brotzmann, who left us on June 22nd at the age of 82, was at the wheel of numerous free jazz outings over the course of a rich six-decade career. His last recordings - An Eternal Reminder of Not Today (with the experimental rock outfit Oxbow) and Naked Nudes (with cellist Fredrik Lonberg-Holm and pedal steel guitarist Heather Leigh) are worthy musical journeys, as well as this entirely improvised live recording, Catching Ghosts, a culture-blending trio effort with Moroccan guembri player and vocalist Majid Bekkas and American drummer Hamid Drake.

Brotzmann was open to exploring new territories on every session, and the threesome here frame their distinct sounds into an offbeat hybrid fusion of gnawa songs and free jazz. The program, recorded live at Jazzfest Berlin 2022, offers four free-flowing and unrehearsed gnawa traditional pieces that, following consistent textural palettes, are galvanized by the driving force of Brotzmann’s saxophone playing. The opener, “Chalaba”, blazes the trail. The two-stringed, camel-skin-backed guembri can sound like a bass in the lower registers, soon establishing a sextuple time groove while having clean cymbal scintillation by its side. The saxophone clamors find space between phrases, entering this dance arena with either growling intensity or hoarse moaning, yet invariably with class and personality.

The following three pieces were included on Bekkas’ 2002 album African Gnaoua Blues. “Mawama” appears here with strong hi-hat pulsation and snare activity, putting more emphasis on the vocals than the sax; the 14-minute “Hamdouchia” presents a 10-beat cycle groove, having Brotzmann - in all his fiery, subversive and provocative style - responding to Bakkas’ voice; and “Balini”, both propulsive and airy, features Brotzmann’s whining clarinet prayers over rhythmic interlocking patterns generated by Bekkas and Drake.

These musicians take chances, each serving the material with musical passion and care. This is a wonderful goodbye from Brotzmann, a force of nature who will be deeply missed by all free jazzers.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Chalaba ► 03 - Hamdouchia

Evan Parker / Matthew Wright, Trance Map+ - Etching the Ether

Label: Intakt Records, 2023

Personnel - Evan Parker: soprano saxophone; Matthew Wright: live electronics, sound design; Peter Evans: trumpet, piccolo trumpet; Mark Nauseef: percussion.

This recording reunites the British saxophonist Evan Parker and his fellow countryman, the electronic musician, turntablist and sound designer Matthew Wright. Together, they are Trance Map, a project in constant mutation. As usual, ambiguity and experimentation prevail, with two talented guest musicians helping them build something unique on the spur of the moment. The participation of trumpeter Peter Evans and percussionist Mark Nauseef, and the way they deal with sound and texture, makes Etching the Ether a much more exciting record than the previous, Crepuscule in Nickelsdorff (Intakt, 2019).

Putting today’s technology at their service, the foursome begin their inexhaustible post-jazz excursion with “At Altitude”, combining high-pitched whistles, droning electronics, infinite soprano roundabouts, growling trumpet multiphonics, sparse gong vibrations, and a mix of tinkling, rattling, and metallic percussion sounds.

With tense layers of sound as their grooves, and a fusion of circularity and obliqueness as their language, “Drawing Breath”, at nearly 21 minutes, is an instigation with breadth of vision. There’s an intensification of the percussive tract at an early stage and a buzzing tapestry over which Evans unpacks swift trumpet phrases with an excitable temperament. Parker joins him to probe orbicular and elliptical trajectories that, occurring in parallel, create an intensively flickering stimulus on the ear. Riffing in ecstasy, they reach magnitudes of sound whose color, shape and motion are difficult to anticipate. By the end, electronic murmurations accommodate dark synth-like waves and noisy patterns of different pitches.

For “Engaged in Seeking”, the leaders gave full rein to Nauseef, who created an elusive background in post-production. He contributes heavily to a wider and deeper dimension of the music, whose intensities are masterfully commanded by Parker and Evans. They reach a climax before the quiet finale, with the trumpeter stretching erratically over a granular texture. This stirring, free-flowing ride is best experienced in sequence.

Favorite Tracks: 
02 - Drawing Breath ► 03 - Engaged in Seeking

MØ:San - Mr. Mountain's Folktales

Label: AMP Music & Records, 2023

Personnel - Jung-Jae Kim: saxophone; Finlay Hare: cello; Amund Nordstrøm: drums, modular synth. 

This Norway-based improvisational trio called MØ:SAN trades in avant-garde jazz atmospheres and hinges on interaction to express their creativity. South Korean saxophonist Jung-Jae Kim leads the group and provides all eight compositions that compose this first album, Mr. Mountain’s Folktales. The pieces are drawn from conventional and unconventional musical aspects, including graphic scores, with Kim being joined by British cellist Finlay Hare and Norwegian drummer Amund Nordstrøm.

The ship sets sail with “Mountain Blue”, traversing waves of abstraction that are formed by deep raspy cello, contemplative saxophone chants, and considerable percussive variety. On “Reverberation” we have mantric undulations via a cello drone, mystic horn murmurs and volatile if resolved drumming.

There’s a mix of refined and unpolished expressions, fruit of the bevy of sounds with which they play. Take the example of the subtle and minimalist “Conjunction”, with its rattling percussion, poppy sax notes, and sparse cello pizzicato turned into occasional strumming to reinforce harmonic background. This piece gets closer to the soaringly prayerful “Ascension”, whose formless ambience of pacific tones enables modular synth curlicues prepared by Nordstrøm. These two pieces differ in mood and texture from “Tapestry”, a spiky-but-pretty number that develops with growling and multiphonic blows, winding cello patterns that range in pitch, and adequate drum playing.

Whereas the multiphonics-infused “Tube” starts off moody and ends up forcefully, “Irony” hits the sweet spot of chamber music with its classical intonation and scintillating melodic conduction. Cleverly, the trio adds some elements of surprise.

With unpredictable soundscapes, Mr. Mountain’s Folktales is a testament to the power of collaboration and sound arrangement as an art form. Kim tells a story about a man in the mountains and his relationship with nature in a work that is organically constructed according to the musical freedom he vouches. MØ:SAN knows where they’re stepping onto, opening up a narrative path to sound discoveries.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Mountain Blue ► 04 - Conjunction ► 05 - Tapestry

Daniel Carter / Leo Genovese / William Parker / Francisco Mela - Shine Hear Vol. 1

Label: 577 Records, 2023

Personnel - Daniel Carter: saxophones; Leo Genovese: piano; William Parker: bass, gralla, shakuhachi; Francisco Mela: drums, voice.

This potent quartet composed of two veteran leaders of the downtown free jazz scene - saxophonist Daniel Carter and bassist William Parker (here taking a larger role as he joins the frontline playing woodwind instruments) - and two excellent  musicians of a younger generation - Argentine pianist Leo Genovese and Cuban drummer Francisco Mela - deliver a cutting-edge session of free improvisation in which they show not to be afraid of dissonance, atonality, and experiment with sound.

“Intertext Salute” exhibits a moderate yet assured percussive drive at the outset, with irregular piano coiling, fully framed bass work in the forms of sturdy pizzicato and burbling arco, and poised manifestations of saxophone angularity. At some point Parker brings the gralla (a Catalan double reed instrument) into the game. He and Carter burn through simultaneous phrases that, emphasizing accentuation, create a sophisticated and witty musical dialogue. Tonally brilliant, Genovese’s playing feels like a tornado of tremendous force, and the energy peak coincides with when Mela’s Cuban chants start to intensify.

Many will say the intensity wanes on “Shine Hear”, a splendorous modal piece of immense beauty, but moments like this one do make the difference. With big ears and resourceful skills, they express themselves in a prayerful communion where saxophone and shakuhachi interact closely.

The concluding cut, “Glisten Up” goes through a cycle of different moods and textures. Furious gralla lines fly atop the martial snare drum flow; subsequently, we have soaring piano hooks rambling until crashing loudly in the low register; and then a repetitive vocal phrase uttered by Mela while maintaining a steady rhythmic pulse. This becomes the motivic center for what comes next. Carter seems to evoke the black spiritual “When the Saints Are Marching In” at the beginning of his statement; there are reflective phrases over mechanic rat-a-tat-tas and apt chordal work; and everything fades into a dreamy ambience with bowed bass at the fore.

Assembled with structural and sonic invention, this disc is a vast sea of interminable motion and mood. With ensembles like this, one can still find coherent free jazz cooked with taste and passion. With new sounds but also with the intensity of the old times.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Intertext Salute ► 02 - Shine Hear

Lurch Purse - Don't Mess With Lurch Purse

Label: Mother Brain Records, 2023

Personnel - Michael Eaton: tenor saxophone; Max Kutner: electric guitar; Kevin Shea: drums.

The collaborative free-improv trio Lurch Purse, composed of saxophonist Michael Eaton (James Brandon Lewis, Dave Liebman and Lionel Loueke appeared on his recordings), guitarist Max Kutner (Grandmothers of Invention) and drummer Kevin Shea (Most Other People Do the Killing, Peter Evans Quartet), debuts with Don’t Mess With Lurch Purse, an album whose title works like a warning for the avalanche of tense and intense sounds built.

Their rough-around-the-edges approach has authoritative saxophone expressions combined with guitar interjections and irregular drumming, giving way to unstoppable forays - Eaton explores range and multiphonics within blunt-toned phrases, Kutner delves into roaring distorted rampages inspired by thrash metal, and Shea provides rambunctious drum work with unremitting energy. 

Following this first improvisation titled “Five Years in a Concrete Egg”, comes “Boite de Lune”, which offers air sounds and long saxophone notes contrasting with speckled guitar noodling. It all changes into fast runs and vehement drumming, in a restless agitation that lasts eight minutes, time when Eaton spits out jumpy intervals to obtain off-the-wall responses from Kutner. The thing with this free jazz ensemble is that intensity is constantly peaking and that can become exhausting.

The musicians certainly show admirable skills, but this recording is in need of more twists to fully work, being one of those ear-puncturing blasts that are too manic to reward a close listening. “Crack Goblins” falls into cacophonous delirium, with intermittent drum attacks and strangled guitar gamboling over it. This is the type of record that would benefit from more variation in the dynamics or, if maintaining the level of verve, less duration. Still, it will probably appeal to those searching for free form, bursting energy, and pugnacious improvisation in music.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Five Years in a Concrete Egg

Sylvie Courvoisier & Cory Smythe - The Rite of Spring / Spectre d'un Songe

Label: Pyroclastic Records, 2023

Personnel - Sylvie Courvoisier: piano; Cory Smythe: piano.

This collaboration between Sylvie Courvoisier and Cory Smythe - two visionary pianists and improvisers - is a true knockout. A voyage of discovery that groups the challenging classical masterwork of Igor Stravinsky, The Rite of Spring (it was composed in 1913, based on Pagan myths), and Courvoisier’s lavish contemporary response to that work, titled Spectre D’un Songe. Brilliantly articulated, the immaculate four-hand pianism results in a vertiginous music that embraces bitonality with high-quality reinvention. 

Stravinsky’s movements split into two spectacular parts - “The Adoration of the Earth” and “The Sacrifice” - the last of which being more restrained in tone but pivoting into a vigorous if cinematic interplay that is simultaneously precise and adventurous in its locomotions. The volatile first part departs from an initial motif to plunge into pedal-like grooves that sound like speedy trains, while other times it visually emulates a feather spinning in the air under a spring breeze. With each section conveying passion and mystery, this is a pleasantly surprising work that illustrates the full range and capabilities of Courvoisier and Smythe’s technique at the keyboard.

Clocking in at nearly half-an-hour, “Spectre d’un Songe” flows within an eerie atmosphere. Arpeggiated maneuvers create paradoxes of different magnitudes; patterned cascades of sound (including prepared piano) allow polyrhythmic probings engraved by sudden low-pitched strokes that wake us up from a hypnotic state of reverie; and profuse harmonic cycles invite free improvisation as well as rich timbres and undaunted intervals to linger on.

Both pianists know their roles in this progressive, symphonic opus, blending their elements to perfection. This is a deeply musical experience and a must-have album for both avant-garde and contemporary classical devotees.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - The Rite of Spring Part I: The Adoration of the Earth ► 03 - Spectre D’un Songe

André Matos / Jeremy Udden - Wandering Souls

Label: Robalo, 2023
Personnel - André Matos: electric guitar; Jeremy Udden: alto saxophone.

Hailing from the same broadminded jazz generation, Portuguese guitarist André Matos and American saxophonist Jeremy Udden got together in Brooklyn for an intimate duo recording soaked in modern ambient stylization. 

The atmospheric beauty of “As Far as Eyes Can See” sets the mood for the album, Wandering Souls, which consists of five improvised pieces. Unpretentious saxophone chanting is set against Matos’ droning escapisms made of aqueous and rippling guitar effects. Space is a must here, and clarity increases as the impressionistic sonic painting sharpens its edges through lyrical contemplation.

“The Rings of Saturn” is both ruminative and explorative in its infectious minimalist loops, whereas “Ceremonial” is not just what the title suggests; it’s also mysterious. The album’s chapters are kept light and cool with impeccable timing and sensitivity. 

“Stoichiometry” implies a chemical reaction between two musicians who have known each other for years but never recorded together. Udden brings confidence and relaxation to his narrative prose; Matos dives into soundscapes that range from swooshing tremolos to atmospheric washes to textural meditations. The album concludes with “The Mind Wanders”, the shortest track on the record at two and a half minutes, and the most harmonically transparent.

This duo is encouraged to uphold their wanders of the soul.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - As Far as Eyes Can See ► 02 - The Rings of Saturn ► 05 - The Mind Wanders

Dave Liebman - Live at Smalls

Label: Cellar Music Group, 2023

Personnel - Dave Liebman: soprano saxophone; Peter Evans: trumpet; Leo Genovese: piano; John Hébert: bass; Tyshawn Sorey: drums.

Master saxophonist and improviser Dave Liebman put together a quintet of such mighty force for a 75-minute free jazz session at Smalls in New York. The captured live is not always brilliant, but the interaction between virtuosic musicians who command their instruments with excellence, worth your time. 

Trumpeter Peter Evans is a superb partner in the frontline, who armed with focused brass work and inventive language, is impressive right from the start. His ideas are caught up by Liebman, who plays with an outer clarity that astonishes, and especially by Argentinian pianist Leo Genovese, whose winding phrases and deft harmonies simultaneously provide density and color. With the emotions running rampant at this early stage, John Hébert, an in-demand stalwart bassist versatile both in comping and improvisation, makes his instrument sing.

The transition to the middle part is pacific, with Liebman giving a self-possessed speech. He is subsequently joined by Evans, who enjoys a few minutes with just Tyshawn Sorey’s drum cycles underneath. The drummer, even sounding more straight-ahead at this juncture, still surprises. After piano and bass pour forth with energy, there’s an extended abstract moment of quietness that leads to a residual rhythmic stuttering that finishes off this middle section.

Taking down the guardrails of written music, Liebman probes complex melodies that expand and contract across multiple rhythms. “The End” evolves within a relaxed conversational atmosphere until reaching a heated final climax. Stimulating music.

Favorite Track:
01 - The Beginning

Peter Brotzmann / Heather Leigh / Fred Lonberg-Holm - Naked Nudes

Label: Trost Records, 2023

Personnel - Peter Brötzmann: alto and tenor saxophone; Heather Leigh: pedal steel guitar; Fred Lonberg-Holm; cello, electronics.

German free jazz saxophonist Peter Brötzmann, a prolific in-the-moment creator, can be heard in the wonderful company of two musicians he knows very well: the Glasgow-based pedal steel guitarist Heather Leigh and the cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm, a stalwart of the improvised jazz scene. The saxophonist released a handful of duo recordings with the former and played in several groups and settings (from duo to tentet) with the latter. The record we have in our hands, Naked Nudes, was recorded in his hometown, Wuppertal, on the occasion of his 80th birthday concerts celebration. 

The music presented here consists of three functionally structured improvisations that, on one side, show that the trio has no interest in playing it safe, but on the other, doesn’t merely follow aleatory trajectories just for the fun of provoking and releasing energy. The outcome of this collaboration manifests the triumph of a levelheaded musical sense over any preconceived idea.

For nearly half an hour, the mighty title track demonstrates their passion, revealing newfound subtleties at every listening. Brötzamnn enters unaccompanied, later having the poignantly chanting vibration of cello and chiming steel guitar as a backdrop. The saxophonist blows his horn forcefully as the tapestry under his feet gradually roughens with noise guitar and electronics. Seven minutes in, and the whirring noise dissipates to make a new form emerge. A quiet lull made of uncanny timbral utterances appears but the chiming guitar puffs are turned into ominous noise in a subsequent phase. Like a distant, confusing dream, Leigh’s pitch-bending guitar waves invite Brötzmann to step into a resigned, supplicant redemption.

The other two tracks are shorter. “Flower Flaps” kicks off rumblingly and pointillistically, making way for the incisive and eloquent saxophone; “Johnny Anaconda” is a brew of sounds entrenched with bowed cello, guitar flaccidity, and keen sax manifestations that faintly blur the picture. Naked Nudes is thrilling and wholly original.

Favorite Track:
01 - Naked Nudes

Ivo Perelman / Ray Anderson / Joe Morris / Reggie Nicholson - Molten Gold

Label: Fundacja Sluchaj, 2023

Personnel - Ivo Perelman: tenor saxophone; Ray Anderson: trombone; Joe Morris: bass; Reggie Nicholson: drums.

The intrepid, unstoppable tenor saxophonist Ivo Perelman along with the master trombonist Ray Anderson bring keen improvisational acumen to this expressionistic quartet complemented by the rhythm section of bassist Joe Morris and drummer Reggie Nicholson. The two frontmen, who had never recorded together before, play around with both perceptible melodic figures and alternative terminologies in Molten Gold, a frequently striking new double-disc outing.

They pursue deeply intuitive excursions in this engagement, starting with “Warming Up”, the first of four extended free improvisations (all four tracks pass the 20-minute mark). Insistent short attacks are delivered by the horn players in a tart, impassioned manner. The slyly witty chanting patterns of Perelman disclose his strong folk influence, while Anderson responds with terse interjections, helping to create dynamism in their unrelieved probe of intensities and moods. By the last segment, Morris and Nicholson fortify the architectural backbone by locking into an open-ended cycle leveled with a certain marching quality.

“Aqua Regia” turns up surreptitiously, creating mystery through the combination of arco austerity, brushed decoration, and melodic figures that repeat, evolve, and transform into new ideas. After amusing us by going from a temporary balm to a jarring commotion, the group seems to immerse itself in a dance that prolongs until the piece's denouement. Perelman, who often juggles with shrilling rises and sliding descends, ends “Gravity” by doing this dancing. He has plenty of support as Morris and Nicholson hold the fort. This track, darker in tone but no less compelling, wraps up a particularly satisfying session of  infectious free jazz.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Warming Up ► 03 - Aqua Regia

Fred Frith / Susana Santos Silva - Laying Demons to Rest

Label: RogueArt Records, 2023

Personnel - Fred Frith: electric guitar; Susana Santos Silva: trumpet.

Captured live in France in 2021, Laying Demons to Rest marks the second collaboration (the first in duo) between British avant-garde guitarist Fred Frith and inventive Portuguese trumpeter Susana Santos Silva. On the heels of the memorable double-disc trio album Road (Intakt, 2021), which conquered our ears and senses with incredible guitar-trumpet-saxophone moments, Frith delivers nearly 42 minutes of continuous free improvisation, weaving an off-the-wall musical fabric centered on timbre and atmospherics.

The duo embraces vast amorphousness within a progressive structure that begins with droning trumpet, airy sounds, electronic noises, and dissonant chords. Then the crystalline guitar drops give way to a distortion-soaked provocation that skyrockets intelligible trumpet phrases in the upper registers.

The story develops with cinematic suspense and the roles readjust; now they set piercing guitar screeches against low-pitched brass. An instant later, we hear organ-like sounds with a percussive tract in the bass notes of Frith’s axe. Concurrently, Santos ruminates via popping sounds just to raise notes to an opera house level.

Several suspended passages keep the tension alive but the duo extricates from raucous conversations by focusing on simple ostinatos that create a strobelike repetition.

These two creatives have immense musical potential and already proved their skills. This recording, despite being an unrepeatable product of their distinct sound worlds, felt somewhat dry. At times, I wished their tone-paintings had some more grip, something less sketchy and more palpable in terms of rhythmic expression.