Maciej Obara Quartet - Unloved

November 9, 2017

Label/Year: ECM, 2017

Lineup - Maciej Obara: saxophone; Dominik Wania: piano; Ole Morten Vagan: bass; Gard Nilssen: drums.

With eager expectation but also unflinching confidence, Polish alto saxophonist Maciej Obara leads his inspired quartet, established in 2012, with a solid sense of unity, hoping for a great debut on the ECM label.
In fact, Unloved, the group’s first studio album doesn’t disappoint, thriving in a crescendo and maturing in our ears after repetitive listenings.

The six original compositions plus one cover were brought forth with the talents of his country fellowman pianist Dominik Wania, who met the saxophonist during a fruitful stint with the Tomasz Stanko group, and the Norwegian Ole Morten Vagan and Gard Nilssen on double bass and drums, respectively.

Obara and his peers set up varied musical settings that range from duskily contemplative to controllably busy to powerfully abrasive.

Both “Ula”, the opening track, and “Joli Bord”, a crepuscular portrait of a desolate landscape, belong to the first kind mentioned above, the sort of composition that Eberhard Weber would write. The former piece comes enfolded in this wintry, almost elegiac coating that derives from minor harmonies and the concise chamber movements provoked by Vagan, whenever he employs the arco. Whether a lament or a prayer, it appends a strong, gray-hued lyricism.

Conversely, the nearly pop atmosphere of “One For” lets the light in as an ear-catching bass groove adheres to the understated drumming and nice piano accompaniment. On top, Obara’s brushstrokes color the canvas with leveled timbres and surgical precision. Yet, it’s Wania who steals the show here, taking off on a tactful solo that brings up his advanced jazz language.

Symbol of astounding interplay and communication, “Sleepwalker” exposes folk charisma in the theme’s statement and, at last, presents Obara as a dashing improviser, capable of stimulating listeners and the rhythm section itself, which responds with prompt counteractions and triggers further incitement to exploration.

The only non-original selected for this album was the title track, a plainspoken ballad composed by Krzysztof Komeda and arranged with subtle arpeggiated harmonies as well as melodic parallelism and counterpoint.

After a solo piano preliminary section shrouded in alluring intrigue (a stern, slashing bowed bass joins for the final minutes), the stirring “Echoes”, an uptempo yet static tune, makes the bandleader return to the spotlight. Always alert to Obara’s fervent attacks, Wania responds and also shines in his improvisation as he fearlessly incurs in labyrinthine alleys with extraordinary agility.

The unobstructed sounds of Maciej Obara Quartet, a group with a strong talent to transform and adapt, oscillate extravagantly in mood, according to the emotional fragility or exhilarating imperiousness that might prevail. It is, indeed, a wonderful ECM debut.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - One For ► 05 - Sleepwalker ► 06 - Echoes

David Lopato - Gendhing For a Spirit Rising

November 8, 2017

Label/Year: Global Coolant, 2017

Lineup – David Lopato: piano, keyboards, vibes, marimba, glockenspiel, Sudanese kendhang; Marty Ehrlich: alto and soprano saxophone; Lucas Pino: soprano saxophone, clarinet; Mark Feldman: violin; Erik Friedlander: cello; Bill Ware: vibraphone; Ratzo Harris: bass; Tom Rainey: drums; Michael Sarin: drums; William Moersch: marimba; I.M. Harjito: Javanese rebab; Anne Stebinger: Javanese kendhang; Marc Perlman: Javanese kendhang; John Hadfield: percussion.

World fusion is in good hands with pianist, composer, and bandleader David Lopato, who hired an eclectic A-list band for his 2-CD set outing, Gendhing For a Spirit Rising. Moving with ease between Javanese gamelan, contemporary jazz, and other South Asian sounds, Lopato’s music benefits with both the experienced and the emerging jazz artists that followed him in this adventure.

Due to the palpitating rhythmic structure and the presence of an Eberton-Friedlander virtual violin, “Landrang” and “Jalan Jiwa” made me recall Billy Bang’s Vietnam Reflections.

The folk-steeped “This Life” features saxophonist Marty Ehrlich, who first outlines the free chant-like theme on alto and then improvises on soprano, handsomely backed up by Mark Feldman’s melodicism on violin. Before this stage, the bandleader had shown rhythmic inventiveness and strong sense of resolution during his statement.

Disc one comes to a conclusion with the 20-minute “Gendhing”, a ruminative, grateful, and feathery instrumental that keeps shifting without altering the musing spirit.

The second disc is filled with Western harmonic motions and brings further colors to the already kaleidoscopic palette. It features the up-and-coming saxophonist/clarinetist Lucas Pino on all four tracks.

“Beboppin With Bella” stretches into a swinging bebop stance after a peaceful 3-minute introductory section established by piano, vibraphone, and percussion. Even limited to eight bars each, the soloists: Pino, Lopato, vibraphonist Bill Ware, and bassist Ratzo Harris, are quite generous in what comes to ideas. The vibist was the only one with permission to disseminate creativity to a greater extent after extra time has been given to him.

“Jakshi” draws Middle Eastern snaky melodies mounted in unison over the audacious percussive joy put up by Sarin and John Hadfield.

The two concluding pieces, “Ambush and Aftermath” and “Peace March”, are installments of the 911 Suite, which considers portraying Lopato’s experience of living up the street from World Trade Center. Surprisingly robust in conception, the former tune takes the form of an avant-jazz spirit call, in the same line of adventurers like Albert Ayler and Oliver Lake. As a consequence of the textural surfaces that arose from Lopato’s rambling runs and dissonant flurries, a fine 6/8 groove is settled to welcome Pino’s unceremonious creative output. The final piece is a static, touching poem created with noble intentions and conveying a new sense of liberation.

Gendhing For a Spirit Rising spills grip and humanity, reinforcing the idea that the exquisiteness of world music and the openness of jazz are not mutually exclusive.

Favorite Tracks:
02 (cd1) - This Life ► 03 (cd2) - Ambush and Aftermath ► 04 (cd2) - Peace March

Wadada Leo Smith - Najwa

November 7, 2017

Label/Year: TUM Records, 2017

Lineup – Wadada Leo Smith: trumpet; Brandon Ross: guitar; Michael Gregory Jackson: guitar; Henry Kaiser: guitar; Lamar Smith: guitar; Bill Laswell: electric bass; Pheeroan AkLaff: drums; Adam Rudolph: percussion.

Trumpeter-composer Wadada Leo Smith owns an inimitable avant-jazz voice and an out-of-the-box creativity that is patented throughout a prolific career. If last year he delighted me twice with A Cosmic Rhythm With Each Stroke (duo record with pianist Vijay Iyer) and America’s National Park, this year he strikes again with another couple of powerful albums, Solo Reflections and Meditations on Monk and the object of this review, Najwa, a bow to major American jazz artists.

The album’s acute bite comes not only from Wadada’s limpid sequence of notes, but also from quirky textures weaved by the four guitarists in service: Brandon Ross, Michael Gregory Jackson, Henry Kaiser, and Lamar Smith, plus the constantly ominous bass presence of Bill Laswell and the impressive, ever-adaptable percussive flow by drummer Pheeroan AkLaff. The rhythms are magnified by the actions of percussionist Adam Rudolph.

The duskily cosmic “Ornette Coleman’s Harmolodic Sonic Hierographic Forms” is a transformational and explorative combination of distorted guitar acidity, dark and powerful bass lines, polyrhythmic disinhibition, and the shimmering phrasing of the bandleader. Passing the initial commotion, the rhythm becomes steady and the trumpet cries on top of atmospheric surroundings fed by recurrent bass slides and perplexing, multi-dimensional guitar innuendos.

With the unbeatable spirituality of A Love Supreme in mind, “Ohnedaruth John Coltrane” pays a tribute to the legendary saxophonist by sustaining a sonic liquidity that encapsulates assertive unisons, scattered electric guitar spasms burning in multiple effects, penetrating wha-wha bass licks, and brumous drum assaults. On top of that, Wadada’s stream of conscious improvisation, often encompassing long high notes interspersed with kinetic phrases, forces the rotation between fluidity and motionless. Midway, the rhythmic flow unexpectedly veers to a pacific hip-hop/funky groove that persists until the end.

Immersed in ethereal electronic ambiguity and reviving Miles’ muted trumpet, the short title track spreads balmy breezes before the band busts through boundaries that separate creative jazz and progressive rock on “Roland Shannon Jackson”, a tribute to the pioneer avant-jazz/free-funk drummer of the same name. Naturally, the tune’s epicenter is located on AkLaff’s unhesitating pulses with irregular hi-hat attacks, powerful tom-tom timbres, and colorful cymbal crashes. Notwithstanding, the tension that rushes out of the rhythm section’s constant charge contrasts with the tranquil melody.

For the last number, “The Empress, Lady Day”, the group abstains from the noir urban feel in favor of a fragile placidity. The composition, dedicated to Billie Holiday, passes a sensation of widely spacious due to floating harmonies and vague acoustic guitar rambles.

Even with four avid-for-action guitarists in the roster, Wadada eschews unnecessary clashes or insubstantial sonic transgressions. In turn, and taking advantage of all timbral possibilities, he takes us out of our comfort zones with unflinching, daring, and sculptural forms and sounds.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Ornette Coleman’s Harmolodic Sonic Hierographic Forms ► 02 - Ohnedaruth John Coltrane ► 05 - The Empress, Lady Day

Jen Shyu - Song of Silver Geese

November 6, 2017

Label/Year: Pi Recordings, 2017

Lineup: Jen Shyu: voice, Taiwanese moon lute, Korean gayageum, piano; Chris Dingman: vibraphone; Mat Maneri: viola; Thomas Morgan: bass; Satoshi Takeishi: percussion; Anna Webber: flutes; Dan Weiss: drums + The Mivos Quartet

Acknowledged as original and creative, the experimental vocalist/composer/dancer, Jen Shyu, meritoriously earned the trust of groundbreaking jazz luminaries such as Steve Coleman and Anthony Braxton.

Born in Illinois to Taiwanese and East Timorese immigrant parents, the New-York based singer brings her musical heritage and other multi-cultural influences into nine original compositions, which she calls doors (to other worlds). Although heavily steeped in the world music genre, her work also includes gritty jazz layers piled up by her Jade Tongue band, as well as the unabashed, trenchant sounds occasionally dispensed by the Mivos Quartet.

Sung in seven languages, Song of Silver Geese is a never-heard fusion between East and West cultures, originally conceived as a performance piece in a straight collaboration with the Japanese dance artist Satoshi Haga. The music is an unusual compound of raw traditional folk (Korea, Indonesia, Timor, Taiwan, and Java), cinematic chamber drama, and encouraging contemporary jazz moods.

“Prologue-Song of Lavan Pitinu" blossoms with an immaculate combination of voice and lute, leading to “World of Java”, a piece that highlights Shyu’s precise low timbres and where Anna Webber’s intervallic flute notes sound as audacious and cool as Eric Dolphy’s. The flutist culminates the piece with a contemplative solo improvisation, which guides us to the next mysterious door, “Dark Road, Silent Moon”, a decidedly cinematic and experimental journey reinforced by the purely dramatic chops of the strings.

“World of Hengchun” is a Taiwan-influenced piece whose dramatic orchestration feels propitious for serious puppet shows or operas, while “World of Ati Batik” is an interesting, quasi-robotic litany, beautifully put up by voice, piano, and flute. The vocalist also shows a remarkable ability for delineating stunning harmonies and incorruptible ostinatos on the piano.

The doors close with “Contemplation”, a solo poetic English-language narrative (words are by Taiwanese poet Edward Cheng), where Shyu accompanies herself with the Korean gayageum. Yet, before that, we are taken to an odd Korean dance with “World of Baridegi”, a showcase for supple percussive elements that collude with the competent instrumentation and distant foreign words uttered with a vehemence of a blazing prophet. Shyu’s flexible voice and improvisational skills are all energy, clarity, rhythm, and emotion. Expect something outside the conventional.

Favorite Tracks:
07 - World of Ati Batik ► 08 - World of Baridegi ► 09 - Contemplation

Ambrose Akinmusire - A Rift in Decorum

November 6, 2017

Label/Year: Blue Note, 2017

Lineup – Ambrose Akinmusire: trumpet; Sam Harris: piano; Harish Raghavan: bass; Justin Brown: drums.

Trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire has only four albums under his belt but his influence in the current jazz panorama is tremendous. A skillful composer, Akinmusire has also put a lot of his musical talent on projects of likes such as David Binney, Esperanza Spalding, Roy Hargrove, Jack DeJohnette, and Tom Harrell.

A Rift in Decorum: Live at the Village Vanguard, a double-disc quartet session that contains only original compositions, was recorded at the cited emblematic New York venue in the company of pianist Sam Harris, bassist Harish Raghavan, and drummer Justin Brown.

The disc one opens and closes with phenomenal masterstrokes. “Maurice & Michael (Sorry I Didn't Say Hello)” makes a great starting point, blooming with urgency and triumphantly demarcating the post-bop territory with stimulating clashes of color. The trumpeter speaks an attractive, modern jazz idiom, articulating his statements with exquisite intervallic engagement. Right after him, the risk-taking Harris juggles with notes and chords to produce imaginative polychromatic effects. The prominent rhythmic foundation doesn’t abstain from the freedom that becomes visible again on the closing tune, “Trumpet Sketch (Milky Pete)”, a metrically daring avant-garde shake with kinetic improvisations. The steam is constantly under pressure, especially during an unaccompanied head-to-head between trumpet and drums.

On “Response”, the title is taken seriously once the pianist responds to the trumpeter’s intro with the same melody, which overhangs on the top of his voicings. While improvising, the bandleader shows how muscular his playing can be without ever losing melodic focus.

“Moment in Between the Rest” cools the heat by conjuring up tranquil soundscapes, in a mix of sadness and contemplation. The lachrymose trumpet lines are set against cordial harmonic progressions, static bass lines, and understated brushed drumming. Even conveying a soothing effect, the tune is not devoid of a few staggering sounds.

Opening disc two, “Taymoors World” feels very close to the latter piece described, but attempting to provoke something more through impulsive rhythmic shifts interposed in an abrupt and unceremonious way.
Like a frantic locomotive, Brown put his drums to talk loud on the last pair of tunes. As extra stimulus, he counts on Raghavan’s anxious bass pedal on “Withered” and a galvanizing collective ostinato on “Umteyo”.

Even not flying so high as in the previous When the Heart Emerges Glistening and The Imagined Savior Is Far Easier to Paint, the groove and gravitas of Akinmusire’s compositions plus his tour-de-force improvisations can be enjoyed here.

Favorite Tracks:
01 – Maurice & Michael ► 03 – Moment in Between the Rest ►07 – Trumpet Sketch

Marc Copland - Nightfall

November 2, 2017

Label/Year: InnerVoice Jazz, 2017

Lineup – Marc Copland (piano).

Nightfall, the second outing of the year by the virtuous pianist Marc Copland, is a poetic and heartfelt solo recital that pays tribute to friendship and fruitful musical collaborations with longtime associates such as bassist Gary Peacock and guitarists Ralph Towner and John Abercrombie.

Along with renditions of some of their compositions, the pianist performs three of his own originals and also adds an astonishing take on “Jade Visions” by Scott LaFaro, a pure, melancholic waltz devised with smooth touches and emotional richness. It is exactly with this reassuring tune that Copland opens the album, running some descendent melodic phrases reminiscent of Bill Evans, a natural rather than slavish influence, and elegiac harmonies of subtle introspection.

A sublime musing mood is fully embraced on the nocturnal “Nightfall”, an original piece whose unstoppable one-note pedal delivered at a middle register works as a steady axis for the oblique upper melodies that float in the company of irregular yet intense low-pitched voicings. The sounds are very much capable of describing the post-impressionistic painting of Van Gogh exhibited on the CD cover (Starry Night over the Rhone).

Displaying congruous harmonic movements that are easier to interiorize, the polished “String Thing” gets closer to the song format, remaining poetic as its inner bliss pops out like lava from a spewing volcano.

Impressions of a luminous sentiment are absorbed on Ralph Towner’s “Song For a Friend”, an affecting ballad in minor retrieved from the 1975 duo album Match Book with the vibraphonist Gary Burton. Conciliating melodies and harmonies with a lyric precision, Copland is equally incisive with his left hand, working diligently on the low-toned edge of the piano.

While his “LST” gains a different dimension with no accompaniment, the pensive if searching “Vignette”, composed by Gary Peacock, is reimagined with a cerebral posture.

Copland concludes this session with a pair of tunes by the late John Abercrombie, taken from his 2013 ECM release 39 Steps: “Another Ralph’s” (originally written for Towner) doesn’t take any surprising detours when compared to the type of ambiance envisioned for the record, while “Greenstreet”, which could have been shaped into a regular hard swinger or a ballad, is mounted as a moderately fast, often-rubato post-bop excursion instead.

Copland’s first solo release since 2009 dives inward places of strange intimacy, becoming a consistently beautiful work. Throughout his musical solitude, the piano speaks volumes, resulting in a generous, dainty gift.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Jade Visions ► 02 - Nightfall ► 04 - Song For a Friend

Tom Guarna - The Wishing Stones

November 1, 2017

Label/Year: Destiny Records, 2017

Lineup – Tom Guarna: guitar; Jon Cowherd: piano, Rhodes; John Patitucci: bass; Brian Blade: drums.

In order to sonically illustrate 11 originals on his new CD The Wishing Stones, guitarist/composer Tom Guarna assembles a super quartet composed of Jon Cowherd on piano, John Patitucci on bass, and Brian Blade on drums, all of them bandleaders in their own right.

On the crystalline “Prelude”, a welcoming piece filled with full-blown melodicism and arpeggiated piano, the guitarist works his way into “Song for Carabello”, a responsive, breezy song in 7, delivered with a vibrant Rosenwinkel-feel. Soloing alternately, Guarna and Cowherd sound pretty much in-the-groove.

The relaxing “Surrender Song” is warmly propelled by the lightness of Blade’s brushwork and Patitucci’s dancing bass groove. Together, bassist and drummer craft a fetching rhythmic hook up to serve the prodigious soloing aptitudes of both the pianist and the bandleader.

There is a time for guitar synth-inflected balladry with “Moments=Eternity”, an opportunity to listen to Patitucci’s ideas, and also for amiable jazz-funk with “Unravel”, where folk-like melodies embrace the three-chord harmonic pattern with firmness. Guarna improvises over a subtle bass pedal that is later discontinued when Cowherd starts exploring on Fender Rhodes.

Bouncy post-bop symptoms occur on “Modules”, whose swinging motions serve not only to feed the individual creative moments but also the trading eights between Blade and his cohorts.

Beautiful and lyrical is the guitar intro of the title track, a joy to listen to. This number evinces buoyant funk/soul qualities pervaded in its colorful and slightly Latin soundscapes. While Cowherd often goes bluesy in his statements, Guarna exerts resolute attacks to show off crisp motivic phrases as he manipulates his Collins Soco Deluxe guitar with ample vision. A vamp is established at the end to spark off Blade’s reactions.

The album closes with “Native Tongue” whose intro instantaneously revives “The Girl From Ipanema” in my head. Regardless the false rumor, the tune goes in a completely different direction while maintaining a temperate Latin rhythm.

With fascinating compositions, The Wishing Stones shows a quartet whose strong rapport and commitment to the music is undeniable.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Song for Carabello ► 06 - Unravel ► 08 - The Wishing Stones

Bob Ferrel - Jazztopian Dream

October 31, 2017

Label/Year: BFM Productions, 2017

Lineup includes – Bob Ferrel: trombone; Dwight West: vocals; Vinnie Cutro: trumpet; Rob Henke: trumpet; Joe Ford: alto sax; Frank Elmo: tenor and alto sax; Roy Nicolosi: alto, tenor, and baritone saxophones, trumpet; Sharp Radway: piano; Daryl Johns: bass; Steve Johns: drums; Frank Valdes: percussion; and more.

Experienced trombonist Bob Ferrel was not only a valuable member of the Duke Ellington Orchestra (conducted by Mercer Ellington) but also backed up amazing jazz singers such as Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, and Nancy Wilson.

On his latest, Jazztopian Dream, he shows a true penchant for crisply executed musical dialects, hailing from the hard line repertoire of both bop and post-bop currents.

“My Secret Love” is an uptempo quartet rampant where Ferrel’s gleaming tone buoys up sharp phraseologies.
The cool, Latin-infused “Alter Ego” obeys to a beautiful arrangement by its composer, the late pianist James Williams. It brims with strong melodies, an exuberant rhythm, and flashy colors. After the trombone solo, Joe Ford and Vinnie Cutro, on alto sax and trumpet, respectively, show how melodically assertive they can drive their improvisations. The pair also interacts on the neat and conscious rendition of “You’ve Got to Have Freedom” by Pharoah Sanders, complementing each other’s phrases with logical astuteness. The latter tune also features American vocalist Dwight West, whose casual posture in the way he addresses the songs is also noticeable on Parker's “Yardbird Suite”, “Don’t Go to Strangers”, a tune popularized in the 60s by Etta James, and on the totally dispensable “Every Day I Have the Blues”.

As an undoubted highlight, we have McCoy Tyner’s “Inner Glimpse”, the third part of his breathtaking Enlightenment Suite (from the 1973 album Enlightenment), which thrives with a ravishing rhythm and the typical modal approach that dominated the pianist’s scene in this particular phase of his career. On this version, the piano was entrusted to Sharp Radway who didn’t squander the chance to fly freely and expand the perception of the music. His explorations were competently followed by the forceful, Hubbard-esque lines of Cutro, and the vibrant trombone sounds of Ferrel duetting with Steve Johns’ punchy rhythms. This trombone-drums connection is also peremptory on Ferrel's only original, “Soul Bop”, a power-trio swing packed with raucous, multiphonic tones and a funk-rock pulse.

Deep-seated in the tradition but incorporating up-to-the-minute strokes, Jazztopian Dream encompasses a great selection of tunes, reviving the old times with a contagious liveliness. This makes for an enjoyable record.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Alter Ego ► 04 - Inner Glimpse ► 09 - Soul Bop

François Bourassa Quartet - Number 9

October 30, 2017

Label/Year: Effendi Records, 2017

Lineup – François Bourassa: piano; André Leroux: tenor sax, flute, clarinets; Guy Boisvert: bass; Greg Ritchie: drums.

Underrated Quebecois pianist François Bourassa, an inveterate experimenter with wide-ranging technique, truly deserves more international recognition than he has been receiving.

To sculpt his rhythmically explosive, harmonically advanced ninth album of originals, Number 9, he gathered his elastic quartet whose members consist of multi-reedist André Leroux, bassist Guy Boisvert, and drummer Greg Ritchie, longtime collaborators who first recorded together in 2003 on the pianist’s album Indefinite Time.

Exerting cutting-edge rhythmic variations and enticing angular movements, “Carla and Karlheinz”, the spellbinding opening piece, shows the well-oiled band in its full force, hitting their stride with telepathic powers. For this particular tune, Bourassa imagined an unlikely musical encounter between the jazz pianist/bandleader Carla Bley and the electronic virtuoso Karlheinz Stockhausen. Curiously, the outcome revealed an exciting appeal, also due to other salient influences like Monk (dissonant intervallic charm), E.S.T. (refined harmonic movements and rhythmic flow), and Berne/Mitchell (textural/timbral work for the duration of the saxophone solo). Switching from flute to tenor, Leroux cooks up a blistering improvisation, occupying a prominent position throughout this piece.

Plodding along with a 5/4 tempo, “5 and Less” is made of light and darkness in equal parts, flourishing with an artistic sumptuousness akin to Andrew Hill.

The early, quiet reflections on “Frozen”, delivered with an intensified chamber feel due to Boisvert's spacious arco work, quickly deviates toward a dark harmonic corner, perfect for the fiery timbral explorations of Leroux.

While both “Past Ich” and “18, Rue de L’Hotel de Ville” showcase the lyrical side of the bandleader, “11 Beignes” starts as a controlled avant-garde exercise, beautifully sculpted with relentless shrilling piano notes and the rich tones of the clarinets. It made me think of an experimental crossing between Muhal Richard Abrams and Don Byron. However, it all leads to an enchanting 11/4 groove worthy of Chick Corea.

Number 9 refrains from swinging in a typical way. Instead, it wittily uses rhythmic and harmonic twists and turns to defy our expectations. Possible categorizations are lyrical avant-jazz, progressive post-bop, or modern free. However, what's important is that you can have fun while absorbing one of the boldest and most gratifying records of the year.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Carla and Karlheinz ► 03 - Frozen ► 07 - 11 Beignes

Rez Abbasi - Unfiltered Universe

October 26, 2017

Label/Year: Whirlwind Recordings, 2017

Lineup – Rez Abbasi: guitar; Rudresh Mahanthappa: alto saxophone; Vijay Iyer: piano; Johannes Weidenmueller: bass; Dan Weiss: drums + guest Elizabeth Mikhael: cello.

Since a young age, Pakistan-born American guitarist Rez Abbasi realized that the six strings of his guitar were a fantastic way to express himself. Throughout the years, he has been proving a deep understanding of the instrument and a prodigious facility in painting his modern style with multi-colored Eastern elements and a superb technique.

Unfiltered Universe, the last installment of his Indo-Pakistani-influenced jazz trilogy, entraps us in complex sonic webs, embracing improvisation over well-defined structured forms with unlimited freedom.
For the third time, Abbasi summoned the multi-cultural, stellar aggregation baptized as Invocation whose members include saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa, pianist Vijay Iyer, bassist Johannes Weidenmueller, and drummer Dan Weiss. Together, they formulate piquant Carnatic South Asian seasonings to enhance the flavors of today’s contemporary jazz dishes.

The quintet takes the plunge with “Propensity”, a changeable piece marked by exotic melodic lines and a free-funk feel that derives from the bass groove. Mahanthappa flings a scalding improvisation using the raw instinct and the unmistakable timbre that has always highlighted his playing. Abbasi follows him, discoursing with pertinacity over the edgy accompaniment fomented by Iyer.

The title track acquires an eminent chamber tone in its first minutes due to the incisive cello slashes inflicted by guest Elizabeth Mikhael. The mood changes for the improvisations as the bandleader sketches geometric figures by whether employing sharp angles or rounding off the edges with reliable melodic sense. The pianist, on the other hand, constructs slowly but virtuously.

Functioning as an interlude, “Thoughts” is a less-than-2-minute free-form solo ride wrapped in synth-like effect.

Every tune carries Eastern folk accents in the melody, to a certain extent, but both “Disagree to Agree” and “Thin-King” are particularly driven by a rock-tinged energy that strengthens their muscular cores. The latter, whimsically shifting in tempo, displays Iyer, Abbasi, and Mahanthappa soloing interspersedly. After a short collective romp, it's Weidenmueller’s elegant bass dissertation that concludes the improvisational section.

“Turn of Events” precipitates a wider sense of mystery and awe attached to the strange, dreamy textures. Once again, Mikhael contributes substantially to the atmosphere, while Abbasi and Mahanthappa ignite the fire by exchanging improvised, transonic wallops. The turns of events don’t end here.

The album closes with the gracefully groovy “Dance Number”, where guitarist and saxophonist throw in plenty of phenomenal hooks. On top of that, Iyer’s wry harmonic twists and punchy phrasing are there to gain sonic preponderance near the end.

Innovation and positivism are vital factors that Rez Abbasi doesn’t renounce. Unfiltered Universe exposes a world fusion extravagance, which even tumultuous at times, is no less than emphatically magical.

Favorite Tracks:
01 – Propensity ► 04 – Thin-King ► 05 – Turn of Events

Marc Copland - Better By Far

October 25, 2017

Label/Year: Innervoice Jazz, 2017

Lineup – Marc Copland: piano; Ralph Alessi: trumpet; Drew Gress: bass; Joey Baron: drums.

Marc Copland is a tremendous jazz pianist with a special ability to create stunning atmospheres with unrugged textures. Having collaborated in the recent years with the virtuous bassist Gary Peacock (Now This; Tangents) and the late guitarist John Abercrombie (39 Steps; Up and Coming), Copland never turned his back to his personal projects, which usually overflow with melodic sensibility and strong rhythmic discernment.

The compositions included in Better By Far, his newest work, were skilfully penned to be performed by the same enlightened quartet that delivered the 2015 album Zenith, which deserved every accolade received. The top artists - trumpeter Ralph Alessi, bassist Drew Gress, and drummer Joey Baron, are experienced musicians who move effortlessly within the modern jazz environment.

The first couple of tunes, “Day and Night” and “Better By Far”, evoke the lyricism of Kenny Wheeler, acclaimed trumpeter with whom he joined in a trio that also included Abercrombie. Sometimes subtlety swinging, sometimes suspended in Gress’ loose rambles and Baron’s classy drumming, both tunes embrace a captivating erudition.

The quartet conjures up feathery sonic layers of scintillating beauty, whether they’re forging a disentangled, circumspect waltz such as “Gone Now”, or elegantly depicting grey landscapes smothered by sinister clouds like in “Dark Passage”.

There’s plenty of adventure throughout “Mr. DJ”, in which a daring rhythm invites to free improvisation. Here, we can hear Copland responding to Alessi’s poignant melodies through chordal sequences full of rhythmic intention. Also “Twister”, despite the ruminative and static posture evinced, follows a groovy conduct that encourages the musicians to opt for straightforward actions.

Proving that the art of swinging is fabulous and immortal, the quartet enters in that special mode when handling Monk’s “Evidence” and also “Who Said Swing?”, a playful tune in which Baron fires up a few instinct yet controlled rhythmic spasms.

Even actuating within patented structures and forms, Copland is all freedom and sophistication, preferring a beautiful time feel to complicated, showy maneuvers.
Indeed, Better By Far is by far, one of his best records.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Day and Night ► 02 - Better by Far ► 08 - Dark Passage

Rudresh Mahanthappa's Indo-Pak Coalition - Agrima

October 24, 2017

Label/Year: Self produced, 2017

Lineup - Rudresh Mahanthappa: alto saxophone, electronics; Rez Abbasi: guitar; Dan Weiss: drums, tabla.

Fiery New York-based saxophonist/composer of Indian descent, Rudresh Mahanthappa, has risen to the jazz stardom by cultivating an impressive, unique sound that hallucinates and transfixes.

Besides the successful early partnership with pianist Vijay Iyer (Black Water; Mother Tongue; Codebook), a memorable collaboration with saxophonist Steve Lehman (Dual Identity), and an explorative original work with Charlie Parker's music as the central focus (Bird Calls), Mahanthappa formed the Indo-Pak Coalition, project with Pakistani-born guitarist Rez Abbasi and drummer Dan Weiss, an expert in Indian percussion.

Agrima, his freshest work, features this groundbreaking trio successfully resurfacing Eastern roots and traditions in order to fuse them with the most desirable improvised jazz. This is their sophomore album and a comfortable improvement regarding the debut CD Apti.

The airy, country-like atmosphere of “Alap”, the opening track, surprises due to an indolent predisposition that is not so habitual in Mahanthappa’s compositions. Restraining impetuousness in favor of a more cerebral approach, the saxophonist exhibits a distinguishable coordination with Abbasi on “Snap”, where they follow the steps of each other whether by echoing the theme’s melodic statement or engaging in ephemeral unisons. Abbasi’s textures fascinate, covered in distortion and often enriched with rock-ish riffs on the bottom register. As the guitar solo begins, Weiss switches the tabla for the drum kit, building a more robust foundation with the help of saxophone drones, which compensate the absence of harmony. Close to the finale, a cyclic harmonic progression runs on top of an animated rock pulse.

Predominantly folk, the westerner “Showcase” displays bluesy melodic phrases over a restricted harmonic movement. The band explores alternative sonorities as the time passes, opening up a space for Weiss’ polyrhythmic explorations.

“Agrima”, the title track, lives from electronic stimulus to incur on an indie folk rock whose syncopated rhythm variates more than once. Again, Abbasi romps off on an abrasive improvisation that reveals all his forthrightness and confidence.

There’s plenty of bite in the bandleader’s horn on the elastic “Rasikapriya”. An early entrancing tabla soon gives its place to a brawny rock drumming after a rare abstract middle passage.

The 14-minute “Revati” departs from Abbasi’s spatial intro, which resorts to harmonics, low-pitched notes, and synth-like surroundings, to guide us toward pop/rock harmonic zones using folk jazz dialects as vehicles.

Mahanthappa closes the record with the edgy “Take-Turns”, where the splendid timbres, vertiginous language, and irreverence that made him a stalwart in the bolder side of the jazz spectrum mingles with nifty guitar chops and occasional, never-obfuscatory electronic sounds.
There’s never a dull moment in this world fusion celebration.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Snap ► 06 - Rasikapriya ► 08 - Take-Turns

Mats Holmquist - Big Band Minimalism

October 24, 2017

Label/Year: Mama Records, 2017

Lineup includes – Mats Holmquist: composition, arrangements; Randy Brecker: trumpet; Dick Oatts: alto and soprano saxophone; Magnus Wiklund: trombone; Karlis Vanags: soprano saxophone; Gints Pabersz: tenor saxophone; Viktors Ritovs: piano; Edvins Ozols: bass; Artis Orubs: drums.

Admired Swedish composer/arranger demonstrated a huge musical sensitivity on his previous record A Tribute To Herbie + 1, in which he invited the saxophonist Dick Oatts to co-lead his New York Jazz Orchestra.

This time, with Big Band Minimalism, things are different. Although counting on the saxophonist for the great part of the improvisations, Holmquist adds veteran trumpeter Randy Brecker to extemporize ideas and ensures a sturdy support from the Latvian Radio Big Band.

The opening piece, “The Girl in the Tree”, is divided into three sections. The first one kicks in with overlapping horn-driven layers, suddenly discontinued so the bassist speaks briefly and freely until being fetched by the pianist. Catchy melodies and cyclic harmonic progressions integrate until entering in section two. Here, a renewed rhythm takes a more funk orientation, bearing a competent trombone solo by Magnus Wiklund on its arms. Section three gives us back the beautiful harmonies that now accommodate potent horn blows atop.

A gracious walking bass advances on “The Same Old Song”, a 4/4 mid-tempo piece that vibrates with punchy melodic lines over the emancipated fluidity offered up by the rhythm section. Oatts and Brecker accessed the desired space for individual statements with relish, repeating the dose on a couple of tunes dedicated to and inspired by the minimal music pioneer Steve Reich. They are “Stevie R.”, which also appeared in Holmquist’s previous album and brims with conversational loop-like phrases surrounded by friendly pop/rock atmospheres, and “To The Bitter End”, a 6/4 fantasy that progressively liberates, ending up in a sort of military melodic cadence led by trombone.

“Friends & Enemies” calls immediately our attention to a battle between the horn players and the drummer. They fight for the leadership with loud ostentation until an eventual sonic boom and before a smoother rhythm takes over, definitely imposing the ceasefire. The harmonic progression, a contrafact on Stravinsky’s Symphonies of Wind Instruments, sustains a hefty improvisation by Oatts on soprano.

“A Quick Ride in a Jazz Mobile” starts as a ternary woodwind feast that becomes denser as other instruments introduce minimalist short phrases. Flowing with a steady backbeat, this number benefits with a stirring intervention from the Latvian Big Band and the pair of soprano solos by Brecker and Karlis Vanags.

The minimalist concept used by Holmquist has powerful repercussions in the reverberation and fascination of the sound. The tasteful arrangements were given excellent treatment by the group of musicians on board of a vessel that navigates with a remarkable sense of orientation.

Favorite Tracks:
03 - Friends & Enemies ► 06 - A Quick Ride in a Jazz Mobile ► 07 - To The Bitter End

Stefano Battaglia - Pelagos

October 22, 2017

Label/Year: ECM, 2017

Lineup – Stefano Battaglia: piano and prepared piano.

Italian pianist Stefano Battaglia aims at the (im)migration crisis that keeps escalating all over. In order to call the world’s attention to the problem, Battaglia addresses a handful of compositions plus a bunch of spontaneous improvisations with acute sensitivity. Pelagos, his first solo album, was conceived with piano and prepared piano and recorded at the Fazioli Concert Hall in Sacile, Italy.

The song titles vary from specific locations where the problem is more visible to more generalist terms regarding migration in its different varieties.
If “Destino” and “Migration Mantra” are persevering supplications, the minimalist “Lampedusa” and the tense “Migralia” are sorrowful enough to make you inconsolable.

Wielding attractive melodies on the title track, the pianist manages to turn the lugubrious first movements into optimistic light on a few specific passages where the classical intonations are intensified.
Other songs fully immersed in the classical genre are the moderate-moving, lightly fingered “Brenner Tocatta” and the two beautifully polished variations of the Arabic traditional song “Lamma Bada Yatathanna”, whose Eastern connotations grow dim when submitted to a solo piano treatment.

Eastern musing is certainly preponderant on “Halap”, which is complemented with an exciting groove and sinuous melody, and “Exilium”, where a relentless chord shields whether swift, whether meditative Hamito-Semitic enunciations. The latter tune gets percussive in its final part, boosted by smothered sounds and exotic melodies dispensed by the prepared piano.

Assorted chimes, vibes, and timbres generate the percussive “Processional”, as well as “Hora Mundi”, whose descendant melodic cascades bestow an idiosyncratic tone that sounds dreamlike but restless at the same time. In a different way, “Dogon” and “Heron” bring to mind the rhythms and the struggle of the African people.

The pianist operates on another register by penning “Ufratu” with stronger spiritual undertones, giving it the form of a lyrical folk dance, which feels expectant but unwavering in its moves.

Exposing his sharp sense of individuality, Battaglia delivers a poetic, well-structured, and worthwhile body of work. Some listeners may wish that Pelagos had been expanded in terms of groove and textural dimension, however, its hypnotic rhythmic churns and heartfelt melodic spirals kept my ears glued to the sounds all along.

Favorite Tracks:
04 (CD1) - Lamma Bada Yatathanna ► 06 (CD1)- Halap ►04 (CD2)- Exilium

Tim Armacost - Time Being

October 19, 2017

Label/Year: Whirlwind Records, 2017

Lineup - Tim Armacost: tenor saxophone; Robert Hurst: bass; Jeff Tain Watts: drums; David Kikoski: piano.

American saxophonist/composer Tim Armacost has established an enviable path within the populated jazz panorama both as a leader, sideman, and co-leader of groups such as the New York Standards Quartet and Brooklyn Big Band.

His newest outing, Time Being, is the first on the Whirlwind Records and features Robert Hurst on bass, Jeff Tain Watts on drums, and pianist David Kikoski who joins the trio only on a few selected tracks.

The rich sound and vibrant timbre of the saxophonist is immediately patented on the opening tune, “Alawain”, a virile bost-bop excursion set up in trio where the levels of energy skyrocket. Hurst begins soloing upfront before falling into a hooky groove that sounds even catchier when in the company of Watts’ creative powerhouse drumming. On top of that, the bandleader weaves expressive phrases embellished here and there with Eastern colors.

The title track displays the dark-toned tenor working in synch with the bass. One can feel an apparent relaxation that finds resistance in the African arrhythmias of the fidgeting drummer, while the experienced bassist enjoys freedom, whether rambling with insouciance, whether swinging the old-fashioned way.

There are three distinct pieces baptized with the title Sculpture, each of them probing a sense of strange liberation within their structured experimentation. “Sculpture #1: Phase Shift” feels like a bop tune working in the guise of a modern improvisatory routine; “Sculpture #2: Tempus Funkit" swings more than funks, opting to ululate with tempo fluctuations; “Sculpture #3: All the Things You Could Become in the Large Hadron Collider”, the last track on the album, has a vibrancy that stems from a (de)conversation between Armacost and Kikoski, which occurs with the harmonic progression of “All The Things You Are” as a point of departure. In tandem, they extract dizzying effects from their winged yet remarkably coordinated interplay.

Moods and paces are constantly altered from one tune to another. Thus, if “The Next 20” delves into balladic zone, gaining contours of a jazz standard, especially by the action of Kikoski’s harmonic smoothness, “53rd St. Theme”, based on Monk’s “52nd Street”, calls for classic bop while tingling through slowdowns and accelerations in tempo.

The two non-originals are utterly exciting. Thelonious Monk’s “Teo” provides enough punch and accent, not only thriving with the unpredictable ideas that keep bursting from the bandleader’s instrument, but also with the eight-bar improvised exchanges between Watts and his peers. No less vigorous, Ornette Coleman’s “Lonely Woman” is subjected to a delightful arrangement, starting with Hurst and Armacost echoing the phrases of each other while Watts pushes forward with consistency by employing his typically unhinged rhythms.

Tim Armacost knows how to pull emotions out of his playing. This record authenticates him as an adventurous composer, and the last pair of songs described above show how imaginative he can be when tackling a classic tune.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Alawain ► 08 - Lonely Woman ► 10 - Sculpture #3

Dan Bruce's Beta Collective - Earthshine

October 17, 2017

Label/Year: Ears and Eyes Records, 2017

Lineup – Dan Bruce: guitar; Russ Johnson: trumpet; Chris Madsen; tenor saxophone; Rob Clearfield: piano and Fender Rhodes; Clark Sommers: bass; Jon Deitemyer: drums.

Ohio-born guitarist Dan Bruce, a former mainstay of the Chicago jazz scene relocated to his hometown, releases his sophomore album, Earthshine, where he sculpts personal compositions with the help of high-caliber artists - Russ Johnson on trumpet, Chris Madsen on tenor, Rob Clearfield on piano and Fender Rhodes, Clark Sommers on bass, and Jon Deitemyer on drums.

Lustily built with well-developed sonic textures, the title track inaugurates the voyage to a contemporary jazz planet where the influences of the tradition are seamlessly blended to generate modern sounds. After the theme’s statement, there is a folk-tinged vamp pointing the way toward the bandleader’s improvisation, exotically colored with some modes of the jazz harmonic minor scale. A solemn collective passage leads us to the extraordinary phrasing of Johnson, who stands out through the use of gutsy intervals extended in pitch.

As an intrepid roamer, the shining trumpeter delivers harmonious melodic leaps within asymmetrical phrases on “Ice (No.2)”, a non-imposing yet catchy piece that also features Bruce’s acoustic stringed tapestry and an agile keyboard solo.

Bent with accentuated folk tones, “Reprieve: Reprise” is a Scofield-esque bluesy treat delivered in the traditional guitar trio format. Throughout Sommers’ bass solo, the guitarist joins Deitemyer’s warmly brushed drumming, assuming and assuring the required underpinning.

The bassist, a regular presence in groups led by Dan Cray and Kurt Elling, extemporizes once again on “Sofa”, a magnetic ternary piece filled with dark humor and pertinent harmonic progressions. This tune had been previously recorded on Bruce’s 2007 debut CD, A Single Thread.

If the straight-ahead predisposition heard on “Lapse” is arranged with a modicum of funk flavor while displaying a telekinetic interplay between Madsen and Clearfield, “Major_Chord” strikes with playful melodies, a cool bass groove, and a Latin-tinged piano solo. Before the reinstatement of the theme, horns and guitar take over in a collective assault followed by non-evasive drum chops.

Bruce smartly eschews overcomplicated procedures on Earthshine. He rather plays slick and tight, punching out inviting textures with an irresistible flexibility. The horn section, operating upfront, together with the participative rhythm section in the back, helped him set up an extremely pleasurable work.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Earthshine ► 05 – Sofa ► 06 - Major_Chord

Shawn Lovato - Cycles of Animation

October 16, 2017

Label/Year: Skirl Records, 2017

Lineup – Loren Stillman: alto sax; Brad Shepik: guitar; Santiago Leibson: piano; Shawn Lovato: bass; Chris Carroll: drums.

American bassist Shawn Lovato puts all his musical influences to work on his debut album, Cycles of Animation, a poised collection of eight modern compositions mounted with the precious help of a quintet that features Loren Stillman on alto sax, Brad Shepik on electric guitar, Santiago Leibson on piano, and Chris Carroll on drums.

The burning counterpoint on “Loose Noodle” is absolutely stunning, provoking a hair-raising sensation as if an electric current would have been running in our veins. The rhythm, unwavering and strong in spirit, is disseminated by Lovato and Carroll, while Shepik focuses on the narration of an enigmatic episode, meticulously described with realistic expression. The rhythmic regularity of Leibson’s comping soon winds down, becoming loose when Stillman starts improvising. It reappears later, steady and nearly ritualistic, to finish the tune and favoring a few impulsive trills packed by the saxophonist.

Initiating its journey by visiting the piano trio realm, “Static Phases Illuminated” unpretentiously mingles improvisation with written material, featuring indomitable guitar reflections surrounded by delay effect before synched phrases take the central spot.

The title that lends its name to the album, "Animated Cycle", is divided into three parts, all of them shaped with a piano-bass-drums configuration. The first part is introspective and sorrowful, the second one creates an intriguing setting that balances the lyrical and the percussive sides, and the third sounds ample and vague, slowly catching sight of an air bubble to breathe.

On the shape-shifting neo-bop adventure “Brain Drain”, Lovato’s bass is set free but ends up swinging aplomb while inviting Leibson to the party. The pianist takes consecutive rhythmic figures with him, but minutes later, offers his place to Shepik, who clears up with consummate rhythmic coordination. To finish, Stillman steps in and flies high, having a pushy, pulsating funk groove supporting his endeavor.

The jittery “7th Street Jig” exhales folk tradition through the playful melodic statement but grows in a more exploratory avant-garde atmosphere. After the bass rambles over sweeping piano twirls, and saxophone cacophonies over crisp bass sounds, we have a fleeting collective improvisation prior to the restoration of the theme. This posture feels contrary to the closing piece, “Unplugged Slug”, where an uncompromising languor starts gaining weight very early with the introductory bass solo and proceeds in its subsequent seamless transitions. Although dreamy, Leibson’s solo keeps us alert throughout, while Stillman never loses confidence in his unguessable sayings, regardless if he has the guitarist’s eerie drones or the pianist’s tart chords sounding at a lower level. By the end, Shepik scrutinizes multiple timbres within the volubility of his melodic ideas.

Cycles of Animation serves as a showcase for an organic mosaic of colors, rhythms, and textures. Resorting to clever structural vistas, Lovato penned engaging pieces that emphasize the collective and the individual alike.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Loose Noodle ► 04 - Brain Drain ► 08 - Unplugged Slug

Sam Newsome / Jean-Michel Pilc - Magic Circle

October 15, 2017

Label/Year: Self produced, 2017

Lineup – Sam Newsome: soprano saxophone; Jean-Michel Pilc: piano.

American soprano saxophonist Sam Newsome and French pianist Jean-Michel Pilc denote a great chemistry on Magic Circle, a duo album that explores classic jazz tunes and a couple of originals with a very personal vision.

“Autumn Leaves” starts by juxtaposing the intact melody as we know it (with a few punctual escapades by Newsome) against Pilc’s adventurous rhythmic experimentation, whose primary goal seems to find ways of sounding innovative without losing melodic sense in the accompaniment. After the improvisations, one can check up on Newsome’s timbral explorations over a 6/4 piano cadence.

Ellington and Monk were evoked with sharp-angled renditions of two pieces each. The former’s “In a Sentimental Mood” starts with fugue-like classical intonations and features Newsome’s varied timbres and techniques, including multiphonics and slap tongue, while Pilc, operating on several octaves of the piano, assumes the risk for the sake of freedom. The sonic scrutiny of “In a Mellow Tone” sounds playfully percussive, resorting to ringing sax vibes and popping sounds to impress. Introduced by piano, Monk's “Misterioso” has Pilc quoting the melody of “Crepuscule With Nellie”, another Monk’s tune, and cuts short the stroll with a typical bluesy ending. Its sweet n’ sour mood differs from the beautiful “Ask Me Now”, here subjected to a disconcerting ad-lib treatment permeated with rich interplay.

One of the two originals on the album is the title track, “Magic Circle”, which comes shrouded in melancholy, evincing ingratiating piano movements and rapid sweeps sparsely sounding acerbic.

Undoubtedly a high peak, “Giant Steps”, John Coltrane’s iconic composition, is mounted with unpredictable, slow-morphing shapes that include twisted strands of horn-driven melody over crisp and refractory piano textures.

Commanding their instruments with an admirable precision, Newsome and Pilc opt for spontaneous choices in their unattached musical approach, conveying a strong sense of freedom and openness.

Favorite Tracks:
03 - Giant Steps ► 06 - Misterioso ► 09 - Ask Me Now

Satoko Fujii - Aspiration

October 12, 2017

Label/Year: Libra Records, 2017

Lineup – Wadada Leo Smith: trumpet; Natsuki Tamura: trumpet; Satoko Fujii: piano; Ikue Mori: electronics.

Prolific Japanese pianist Satoko Fujii became a reference in the extreme end of the avant-garde jazz. Not only her ambitious big band projects (New York, Tokyo, and Berlin) have deserved accolade all over the world, but also other collaborative works like the great album Duets, recorded with the inventive bassist Joe Fonda, have drawn very positive reactions among the lovers of the creative current.

On Aspiration, her latest album, she relies on a portentous frontline of trumpeters composed of Natsuki Tamura and Wadada Leo Smith, and complements it with the electronics wizard Ikue Mori. This unusual formation also marks the very first collaboration of the pianist with the latter two.

To introduce “Intent” there is a cutting, multiphonic trumpet, later joined by its equal, which operates in synch but an octave below. Fujii’s awe-inspiring chords and linear notes contextualize the pair of horns, which keep emitting beseeching cries, in an unpredictable contemplative-aggressive communion that feels as much sinister as marvelous. The tasteful electronic effects thrown in by Mori integrate perfectly with Fujii’s textural approach. This also becomes particularly noticeable on the title track, a showcase for the bandleader’s entrancing harmonic movements and melodic delineations, and “Floating”, a piece where the trumpets fiercely clash after an atmospheric start. The horns collapse, having Fujii’s meddling framework attempting to get between them. They end up agreeing at the end, reducing the turbulence considerably and following the same interstellar route with unflinching stability.

“Liberation”, composed by the quartet, is another segment where we can observe Wadada and Tamura embarking on mesmerizing blows as they explore the timbres of their instruments. The long high-pitched notes dropped by one of them go against the muted short phrases of the other, while Fujii, getting into action at a later time, sounds relentlessly spectral in her moves. The band skews any effusive liberating movement until the last section, which engulfs us with a stormy, deep-toned sonic efflux.

The last track is Tamura’s “Stillness”, whose initial deep tranquility awakes gradually, stirring dynamics while progressing toward a whirlwind of emotions. It is a wonderful track and the proper closure of this narrative work.

Aspiration is a challenging trip to the free-form imaginaries of a quartet that searches for the perfect poise in the abstractness and exactness of sounds.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Intent ► 04 - Aspiration ► 06 - Stillness

Eden Ladin - Yequm

October 11, 2017

Label/Year: Contagious Music Records, 2017

Lineup – Eden Ladin: piano, keyboards; Dayna Stephens: tenor saxophone and EWI; John Ellis: tenor and soprano saxophone; Gilad Hekselman: guitar; Harish Raghavan: bass; Daniel Dor: drums + guests Camila Meza: vocals; Yonatan Albalak: guitar.

Pianist Eden Ladin was born in New York and raised in Tel Aviv. He has been living in New York for nearly nine years and became a treasured sideman in projects led by great artists like Omer Avital, Wallace Roney, Ari Hoenig, trumpeter Avishai Cohen, and Myron Walden.

After all these years gaining experience and developing skills, it was more than time for him to express his own vision and self with the release of an album.

Yequm, meaning ‘universe’ in Hebrew, is a product of his musical sensitivity and evinces a very personal sound and tractable style. The ear-catching instrumentation is shaped with the help of first-rate bandmates like Dayna Stephens on tenor saxophone and EWI, John Ellis on tenor and soprano saxophone, Gilad Hekselman on guitar, Harish Raghavan on bass, and Daniel Dor on drums.

“Lonely Arcade Man”, originally written as an electronic track, opens the record with ecclesiastic organ plangency, living from a combination of serene melodies put out by Stephens’ EWI, Ladin’s soaring keyboard vibes and beautiful improvisation on the piano, and a syncopated rhythmic flux.

On the good-natured “Smell/Faded Memory”, Ladin revives some sensations from the past using nostalgic touches. A piano-guitar unison comes before Ellis’ solo but keeps echoing as he blows his soprano with impressive confidence.

“From the Frozen Cave” features a special guest: Israeli guitarist Yonatan Albalak, who also wrote it. The dark and often apprehensive tone affixed to this evanescent piece opposes to the brighter light emanated by the rest of the compositions, including the following “The One Warm Hearted Man Living in the Kingdom of Ice”, which blooms with strong cinematic spirit through a fruitful blend of classical, jazz, rock, and electronic influences. Stephens contributes with a gleefully expressive solo on tenor, followed by the bandleader, and all end with the jagged texture formed by Hekselman’s distorted guitar chords. Despite this finale, the guitarist adopts an understated posture until the sixth track, “Safta (Grandma)”, where he and Ellis embark on crisp, uncluttered soloing rides. Before that, a few embellished, scale-sweeping phrases had carved attractive Eastern figures in the ternary jazz core of the song.

Nonetheless, from that point on, Hekselman shines on “Times Square”, a Radiohead-style pop/rock song, “Gambit”, which is delivered with steadfast control, and also “Schlompi”, pushed forward with a naughty frolic and almost puerile happiness.

The appearance of another guest, vocalist Camila Meza (without her guitar), brings a celestial aura into the pristine “Dreams”, while the last track, “Autumn Song”, is probably one of the most beautiful on the album. The intricate tempo doesn't interfere with the lyricism of the tune whose melodic lines are simultaneously thrown in by Ellis and Hekselman. While assuring the song’s harmonic richness, Ladin shares with the saxophonist the time available for improvising.

Yequm is built on rich, amiable, and bracing sonic textures that enchant as they narrate both real and imaginary stories. Ladin’s openness to different styles is an asset in addition to the cohesiveness of a great band, which helped to tie everything together with plenty of light and color.

Favorite Tracks:
03 - The One Warm Hearted Man… ► 06 - Safta (Grandma) ► 11 - Autumn Song