Label: Intakt Records, 2026

Personnel - Michael Formanek: double bass; John O’Gallagher: alto saxophone; Chet Doxas: tenor saxophone, clarinet; João Almeida: trumpet; Mary Halvorson: guitar; Alexander Hawkins: Hammond B3 organ; Tomas Fujiwara: drums.

Lisbon-based American bassist and composer Michael Formanek introduces a new septet, New Digs, featuring his trio partners from Thumbscrew—guitarist Mary Halvorson and drummer Tomas Fujiwara—alongside British organist Alexander Hawkins and a three-horn frontline of saxophonists John O’Gallagher and Chet Doxas, plus trumpeter João Almeida.

Driven by imaginative, free-flowing arrangements, the band opens with “New Old World”, a platform for resolute bass lines, psychedelic organ textures, slippery rhythmic shifts, and bursts of cacophony marked by stabbing saxophone and trumpet figures over counterintuitive guitar accompaniment. Solos by Halvorson, O’Gallagher, and Doxas stand out, with the latter channeling a fervent, Coltrane-like intensity. The piece resolves unexpectedly in a high-pitched, suspended collective lament, even as Formanek turns to the arco. In turn, “Prequel” establishes an air of mystery through sustained organ chords, insistent bass notes, and kinetic drumming. Clarinet and alto saxophone interweave phrases with precision, while Formanek asserts himself with declamatory gestures supported by varied percussive textures. The piece builds toward a climax shaped by his double stops and chromatic motion.

“It Was” highlights the richness of the saxophone writing over a carefully constructed harmonic progression, while “For My Consideration” gains momentum through a bass pedal point, electrifying organ swells, angular unisons, muscular drumming, and dense horn interplay. Formanek’s compositional approach often suggests looseness in rhythmic design, yet “aka The Stinger” leans into a more direct, bluesy, groove-oriented framework.

Paying tribute to the late pedal steel guitarist Susan Alcorn, “Gone Home / Interlude for Susan Alcorn” features a deeply expressive arco bass statement and a poised trumpet contribution from Almeida over a 3/4 harmonic cycle. “Quinze” emerges as another striking piece, marked by deep grooves, vivid improvisation, and sharp-edged intensity. The closing track, “Nigh Total”, ventures into an intergalactic soundscape shaped by swirling organ textures, resonant bass figures, and grounded percussion.

New Digs is another superb manifestation of Formanek’s capabilities as a bandleader. He remains one of the most distinctive voices in the avant-garde jazz scene, always giving his bands space to unleash their individuality within the frames he attentively designs.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - New Old World ► 02 - Prequel ► 03 - It Was ► 08 - Quinze

Label: Pyroclastic Records, 2024

Personnel - Patricia Brennan; vibraphone with electronics, marimba; Jon Irabagon: alto and sopranino saxophones; Mark Shim: tenor saxophone; Adam O’Farrill: trumpet (with electronics on #1,3,9); Kim Cass: bass; Marcus Gilmore: drums; Mauricio Herrera: percussion.

This tour-de-force septet album from New York-based vibraphonist Patricia Brennan showcases her dedication and expansive approach to composition. Breaking Stretch is lushly conceived, with occasional cultural references to the Caribbean and Latin America, offering intriguing textures, varying pulses, cohesive ensemble passages, and probing improvisation. Brennan, whose mallet-induced vibes shimmer through each track, trusts an incisive three-horn frontline—trumpeter Adam O’Farrill and saxophonists Jon Irabagon and Mark Shim—to join her More Touch Quartet, featuring bassist Kim Cass, drummer Marcus Gilmore, and percussionist Mauricio Herrera.

The soca music-inspired “Los Otros Yo” sets a colorful rhythmic matrix at the intersection of avant-garde jazz and calypso. A concise, to-the-point theme gives way to exuberant solos by Brennan and O’Farrill, who enhances his sound with electronic effects, and then a passage where Irabagon and Shim swap angular licks, their horns singing simultaneously in a thrilling display of vitality. The title cut, “Breaking Stretch”, opens with a triangular horn dialogue, its deep-rooted bass contributing to a juxtaposition of binary and ternary rhythmic feels. The resulting enigmatic atmosphere is reminiscent of Henry Threadgill’s sonic explorations, with Shim populating it with dark tones and fractal interpolation. Shim also takes center stage on “555”, a piece based on a rhythmic sequence of three beats divided by five. Cass provides a free funk substructure for the vibraphone solo, and Irabagon finishes the proceedings with a stratospheric display of tonal abundance. “Palo De Oros” stands out as a favorite, introduced by Cass with harmonics, vibratos, and impeccable articulations before unfolding into a 10-beat rhythmic cycle. The time signature shifts throughout a gripping arrangement that includes precise horn unisons, hooky solos, triumphant transitions, and frenetic drumming marking the final vamp.

“Sueños de Coral Azul” brings a breezier mood, serving as a nostalgic nod to Brennan’s Mexican hometown, Vera Cruz. Meanwhile, “Five Sun” blends Latin and funk elements in an infectious, electrified romp driven by a key-shifting bass figure and invigorated by accents and rhythmic stretches. The album closes with the dazzling, disorienting “Earendel”.

The musicians are at the top of their games, feeding off one another’s energy organically and navigating every compositional challenge without a glitch. Breaking Stretch is an impressive showcase of Brennan’s broad musical vision and stands as one of the year’s strongest jazz releases.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Los Otros Yo ► 04 - Palo de Oros ► 09 - Earendel