Matt Penman - Good Question

June 4, 2018

Label: Sunnyside Records, 2018

Personnel – Mark Turner: tenor saxophone; Will Vinson: soprano saxophone; Aaron Parks: piano, rhodes; Nir Felder: guitar; Matt Penman: acoustic bass; Obed Calvaire: drums.

Matt Penman was born in New Zealand but his hearty bass pizzicato and triumphant groove have been enriching the New York jazz panorama since 1995. Besides being an attentive bandleader, Penman contributes to prestigious bands such as SF Jazz Collective and James Farm, and collaborated with respected artists like Joshua Redman, Chris Cheek, Kurt Rosenwinkel, and Aaron Goldberg.

For each tune on Good Question, Penman asked a musical question to his bandmates and their responses were transformative and conversational. For instance, “Copeland” describes an aural safe haven from the traumas of modern life with an effective combination of jazz elegance and lullaby-ish folk melody. Working side-by-side with the warm brushwork of drummer Obed Calvaire, Penman sticks to a bass pedal, creating a polished anchor for Mark Turner’s gritty improvisation.

Surpassing the limits of pure technique and exhibiting a haunting tonal glow, the saxophonist, who plays six of the nine tracks, deservedly claims the spotlight on “Cave Life”, ultimately sparking the circular vibes suggestive of electronic music and created by clockwork hi-hat marks (later turned into beat arrhythmias), glorious sax-bass unisons, and crisp Rhodes harmonizations. He also delivers on the opener, “Mr.Right”, which flourishes with a breathable groove, several rhythmic accentuations, more sax-bass unison phrases, and the visionary pianism of Aaron Parks, here showing an extraordinary ability to produce relaxation and tension on the same textural tapestry. Penman opens the improvisational section with the right foot, repeating the ride on the Oliver Nelson-esque “The Blues and the Alternative Truth”, a balladic recipe cooked up in the classical piano trio format and where his bass testimony slides effortlessly over a sparse piano accompaniment and balmy percussion.

The dawning light of “Small Famous” brings a fresh, sweet serenity. Yet, after all, the tune is not devoid of an inner propulsive energy. The group has a remarkable rhythmic control at the same time that keeps searching for balance and common ground. Even in the face of a complex metric, everything sounds natural.

If saxophonist Will Vinson transcends language on “Fifths and Bayou”, intimately fashioning lines with a soulful side that serves to attenuate the song’s introductory dark texture, then guitarist Nir Felder responds differently to a double call, presenting an attractive idiom with a mellow sound effect on the rhythmically shifting “Rider The Paper Tiger”, and a more bluesy inclination on “Big Tent, Little Tent”, a joyful groovy piece in seven.

With the dominant thrust coming from the pliant rhythm section, the scenario becomes auspiciously enticing for the soloists, whose improvisational creativity is poured out with eager determination and a fertile imagination.
Moreover, great compositions deserve wonderful musicians and Good Question is a good example of that.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Mr. Right ► 03 - Fifths and Bayou ► 06 - Ride the Paper Tiger

Geof Bradfield - Yes and... Music for Nine Improvisers

May 31, 2018

Label: Delmark Records, 2018

Personnel – Geof Bradfield: tenor and soprano saxophone, bass clarinet; Greg Ward: alto saxophone; Anna Webber: flute, tenor saxophone; Russ Johnson: trumpet; Marquis Hill: trumpet; Joel Adams: trombone; Scott Hesse: guitar; Clark Sommers: bass; Dana Hall: drums and percussion.

Boasting an impeccable tonal control and range, saxophonist Geof Bradfield hires a sterling cast of musicians to give wings to his seventh album of originals, Yes, and…Music For Nine Improvisers. The album title was taken from an improvisational theater game implemented by Compass Players, a cabaret revue from the 50s. Combining genres and moods to create a broader sonic palette, the group works dynamically, whether in nonet or trio, following written material and free improvisation as convenient.

“Prelude” opens up the record with a strong rhythmic focus in a sturdy sax-bass-drums trio format, exposing fiery timbral explorations and edgy hooks while binding post-bop stamina and swinging passages. This tradition-modernity crossing is even stronger on “Impossible Charms”, a song containing voluptuous vibes, acute improvisations (Bradfield on tenor, trombonist Joel Adams, and trumpeter Marquis Hill) with swinging accompaniment, and a percussive folk finale covered in Non-Western garments.

The energy becomes refracted on “In Flux”, a time-shifting spectacle penned for the entire nonet that fluctuates with a pedal-like groove and fine chamber passages bridging improvisations. It features Hesse’s rapid runs and cascading ostinatos, saxophonist Greg Ward’s emotional yet electrifying phrasing over a dynamic rhythmic activity, and Russ Johnson's diaphanous melodicism within a storytelling containing fragments of swing.

Avoiding bumpy roads, “Chorale” and “Chaconne” are short horn-driven pieces for trio, designed with parallel and diagonal motions as well as polyphony.

“Anamneses”, whose title means recollections of the past, slightly crosses world music frontiers. The mystique comes from percussive rattles and cymbal introspection, in addition to a self-disciplined guitar and collective lines in unison. Elegant ebbs and flows arrive through flutist Anna Webber’s agile stretches, smoothly placed on top of idle fingerpicked guitar chords. Then we have the beseeching lines of Russ Johnson’s muted trumpet, which find a compelling rhythmic web composed of mallet drumming and breathable bass lines. Concluding the journey, Bradfield skillfully tours a delicate harmonic texture complemented with horn fills.

The celebratory jazz-fusion of “Forro Hermeto”, a tribute to the musical wizardry of Hermeto Pascoal, overflows with iridescent Brazilian rhythms and sparkling statements by the improvisers.

Bradfield stepped up his compositional efforts for this categorical work and the outcome is unpretentious, sumptuous, and gratifying to the core.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Prelude ► 06 - Anamneses ► 08 - Forro Hermeto

Michael Moss Accidental Orchestra - Helix

May 30, 2018

Label: Self produced, 2018

Personnel includes - Michael Moss: clarinet, composition, arrangement; Michael Lytle: bass clarinet; Jason Kao Hwang: violin; Steve Swell: trombone; Waldron Mahdi Ricks: trumpet; Richard Keene: oboe; Vincent Chancey: french horn; Elliott Levin: saxophone, flute; Ras Moshe Burnett: tenor and soprano saxophones; Steve Cohn: piano; Billy Stein: guitar; Larry Roland: bass; Warren Smith: percussion; Michael Wimberly: percussion; Chuck Fertal: drums; and more.

Michael Moss is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, and arranger that has been an assiduous presence in the New York’s free and avant-garde panoramas. His new album, Helix, comprises a 36-minute, 5-part suite and a separate composition that runs for more than 20 minutes. To accomplish this work, Moss gathered a 22-piece new ensemble, the Accidental Orchestra. The band includes respected bandleaders and improvisers such as violinist Jason Kao Hwang, trombonist Steve Swell, hornist Vincent Chancey, and saxophonist Elliott Levin, who doubles on flute. Pianist Steve Cohn and guitarist Billy Stein have a hand in texture and bring occasional harmonic color, while the robust rhythmic foundation is established by Larry Roland on bass, Warren Smith and Michael Wimberly on percussion, and Chuck Fertal on drums.

The Old One suite, influenced by several ritualistic practices from different parts of the world, opens with “Inception”, giving you a good idea of what is coming next. Its extravagant textures sometimes feel light, perceptible and explicit, while other times feel massive, dense and knotty.

“Bridge” evokes the stratospheric Afro explorations of Sun Ra, especially through the actions of piano, vibraphone and drums, whereas “Qabbala” pairs off violins and horns, with guitar and piano fortifying the athletic raids of bass and percussion.

The fourth part, “Bardo” brings mysterious tones through a whimsical combination of highly contrasting pitched sounds. As the time passes, the interactions get inflated, taking proportions of a loud crescendo.

The suite comes to an end with “The Mind of God”, whose duration extends for almost 16 minutes without getting us tired. A shuffling rhythmic cadence looks for a desperate flute dissertation adorned with chamber fills. After a few exciting runs from the oboe, there’s an atmospheric passage made of clarinet over a controlled guitar. However, it’s Steve Cohn’s piano that brings forth that jazz glow we were waiting for. The ride ends up in a concordant chamber jazz feast.

Closing out the record, we have a spiritual, swinging, celebratory piece, “See Sharp Or Be Flat/C# or Bb”, which is probably the most accessible due to a less number of collisions and intersections. Freely blending tradition and modernity, this composition, written when Moss was recovering from a fracture resultant from tripping over a curb, features numerous improvisers whose discourses are separated by suspenseful bridging passages. A blazing percussion discussion is reserved for the end.

Michael Moss works the orchestral dynamics with passion and Helix becomes less intricate and more intelligible as the record is played over and over.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Bridge ► 05 - The Mind of God ► 06 - See Sharp Or Be Flat/C# or Bb

Adrean Farrugia / Joel Frahm - Blued Dharma

May 29, 2018

Label: GB Records, 2018

Personnel - Adrean Farrugia: piano; Joel Frahm: tenor and soprano saxophones.

Canadian pianist Adrean Farrugia and American saxophonist Joel Frahm share a common musical view, demonstrating a deep understanding of each other’s moves in their duo album Blued Dharma. The musicians, who play together since 2009 as members of drummer Ernesto Cervini’s groups, tackle five original compositions by Farrugia and two standards, using diversity and musical compatibility as their best advantages. Of course, this wouldn't be possible if they weren’t great instrumentalists with well-developed languages and a knack for rich storytelling forms.

The proof arrives with the opening tune, “Blued Dharma”, a melodious folkish song that navigates on top of a poignant harmonic progression. Frahm's solo is structured as a crescendo, having his resolute soprano lines being buoyed by Farrugia's crisp accompaniment. Over the course of his improvisation, the pianist adopts a Jarrett-esque style, guaranteeing the linearity of the bass on the left side and creating a beautiful mix of single-note rides and exciting trills on the right. Everything works in favor of a poised, thrilling texture.

While the pop ballad “For Murray Gold”, a homage to the English composer cited in its title, is introduced with a calm rubato deliberation, falling into a 4/4 medium tempo to sustain the improvisations, “Gospell” shows the duo’s devotion to the gospel genre through soulful lines dropped onto awe-inspiring circular harmonies.

“Cool Beans” is an 18-bar blues whose groove shifts registers as convenient. Blowing the tenor sax with precision, Frahm draws some excitement by employing boppish phrases that never neglect timbral exploration. He excels even more on the closing tune, “Half Moon (For Sophia)”, a joyful, fragile, yet danceable piece in which he unleashes myriad logic notes on the soprano, infusing positive vibes into the casual mood.

The two selected standards were “Nobody Else But Me”, presented in a more classic way with occasional fugue-like passages, and two different versions of “Cherokee”, deliciously swirling explorations that meld classical innuendos and uplifting jazz bounces with a free posture.
This is a sparkling, affable record to enjoy in a relaxed atmosphere.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Blued Dharma ► 02 - Cherokee II ► 08 - Half Moon (For Sophia)

Tonhaufen Deluxe - Cygnus 5 Expanse

May 28, 2018

Label: Hout Records, 2018

Personnel - Sebastian Von Keler: tenor saxophone; Simon Girard: trombone; Florian Mobes: electric guitar; Andrey Tatarinets: double bass; Frederik Heisler: drums

Tonhaufen Deluxe is a multifaceted European quintet, formed in 2011, which took its time to mature compositions and influences before releasing their debut album, Cygnus Five Expanse. Founded by tenor saxophonist Sebastian Von Keler, its main composer, the band also features Simon Girard on trombone, Florian Mobes on guitar, Andrey Tatarinets on double bass, and Frederik Heisler on drums.

The docile “Run” opens the record by lumping together gorgeous electro-acoustic guitar sounds, mellow rhythmic engagement, and immersive melodies.

Far more audacious in posture is “Flurry Curry”, which presents a hearty dose of blithe indie rock reminiscent of bands like Weezer and Green Day. The music, in seven, displays a perfectly singable melody uttered by the horn section and a few rhythmic mutations that lead to a burning guitar solo wrapped in metal technique.

Layered with an intriguing artistic echo, the ambiguous “A Small Step” relies on low-pitched drones, salient brushed drumming, extended jazzy chords, leisured bass walks, and horn multiple interactions with both diatonic and atonal adherence. Penned by Mobes, this is a smooth, never-rushing ritual that falls between the rudimentary and the sophisticated.

The bacteria-inspired “Staphylococcus Aureus” is another shifting piece that exhibits a nuanced, classical-like melodic figure at its center. The phrase is declared alternately by saxophone, trombone, guitar, and bass, while sonic layers keep being built in crescent counterpoint. Besides solos by Girard and Keler, the piece highlights the energetic chops of Heisler, who incurs in stunning rhythmic displacements and veers his beats in favor of the surprise factor.

Totally within the jazz sphere, “Nack Blarcissus” is a pun in which the band follows the harmony of Joe Henderson’s classic “Black Narcissus”, adding a bit of African spice to the rhythm. Its fresh summer breeze contrasts with the winds of punk on “59 to 1”, a composition by the San Francisco band Tuxedomoon, here fantastically propelled by a slapping stomp. The infectious rhythm made me want more, especially after hearing the saxophone flying, even for a very short period of time. Sharp unisons conclude this indelible track.

Before conceptualizing brittle textures within a static reverence on Louis Andriessen’s “Eisenstein Song”, the band alchemizes gnarling rhythms and catchy riffs on “The Early Spring”. Firmly anchored in an indestructible groove of bass and drums, the song dwells in a glamorous space between jazz funk and post-rock.

Genre-busting adventures nourish this music, showing the musicians’ ability to cohere tightly and offering up a solid listening.

Favorite Tracks:
03 - A Small Step ► 05 - Nack Blarcissus ► 06 - 59 to 1

Solon McDade - Murals

May 24, 2018

Label: Self released, 2018

Personnel - Jeremiah McDade: tenor saxophone; Donny Kennedy: alto saxophone; Paul Shrofel: piano; Solon McDade: bass; Rich Irwin: drums.

Juno award-winning bassist/composer Solon McDade releases his debut album in the company of his brother Jeremiah McDade on tenor saxophone, Donny Kennedy on alto sax, Paul Shrofel on piano, and Rich Irwin on drums. Comprising nine original tracks, predominantly faithful to the 4/4 time signature, Murals shows the quintet swinging aplomb in several tunes, letting the old school routines invade with anticipated if colorful intonations.

Elated experiences evocative of the hard-bop era such as “Whatever Whatever”, and “Off The Bed Rose” thrive through audacious voice leadings while the opener “He’s A Problem In the Locker Room” blurs the line between hard-bop and post-bop, embracing the moods of Wayne Shorter and Cannonball Adderley and displaying a fine collective improvisation by the pair of saxophonists. In those pieces, we can hear Irwin complementing passages with earnest drum fills or trading bars with the bandmates.

While “Blues For Sebastian” brings the horn riffing tics of the 60s, “Ali’s Second Line” adds some funk, soul, and a bit more rhythmic seasoning, diverging from the post-bop orientation of “Buy The Tractor”, introduced by the bandleader’s woody bass and rounded off with expressive reeds for a relaxed dance. The arrival of piano and drums fixates the cadence before the stipulation of the theme through a melodic statement uttered in parallel.

The enthusiasm for swing refrains with songs like “Do Airplanes Scratch the Sky?”, a modal hymn with balladic scents that still tilts for a while, and “The Ballad of Sir William Ormerod”, a 3/4 piece initiated with Shrofel’s rubato piano and later propelled by brushed drums. Closing out the album at a medium tempo, “A Shorter Thing” occasionally suggests Wayne Shorter’s mood but confining it to a curvilinear romanticism.

Although technically well executed, I found the music obeying recurrent forms and formulas throughout. The impact would be larger if the quintet had assumed a more risk-taking posture, perhaps adding more collective improvisations and interactive passages instead of the traditional structure theme-improv-theme.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - He’s A Problem In the Locker Room ► 02 - Buy The Tractor ► 03 - Do Airplanes Scratch the Sky?

Kristo Rodzevski - The Rabbit and the Fallen Sycamore

May 23, 2018

Label: Much Prefer Records, 2018

Personnel - Kristo Rodzevski: vocals, guitar; Mary Halvorson: guitar; Ingrid Laubrock: tenor sax; Brian Drye: trombone; Kris Davis: piano; Michael Blanco: bass; Tomas Fujiwara: drums.

With The Rabbit and the Fallen Sycamore, Macedonian singer/guitarist Kristo Rodzevski, a dweller of New York since 1999, completes a trilogy started in 2015 with Batania and proceeded with Bitter Almonds two years after.

Just like in the former work, the bandleader convened six superb jazz musicians to help him convey his musical ideas. Guitarist Mary Haslvorson, bassist Michael Blanco, and drummer Tomas Fujiwara remained solid in their positions, while trombonist Brian Drye, pianist Kris Davis, and saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock join the project for the first time, replacing cornetist Taylor Ho Bynum, tenorist Chris Speed, and cellist Tomeka Reid.

The album kicks off with a generous dose of glam rock since “Polyester Suit” exhibits, at some point, a similar vocal tone and dramatic vein of the British rock band Placebo. Here, Drye’s solo gets responses from Halvorson’s effect-drenched guitar.

The trombonist returns to the spotlight on “Out of Key”, a piece that, even not as grungy as Nirvana or Alice In Chains, carries a bit of these band’s emotional desperation. However, the trombone solo, introduced by clapping, shape into a Spanish-tinged harmonic sequence that is not followed when Laubrock takes over by the end. Robust in sound, the indomitable saxophonist infuses the right amount of irreverence on “Your Name”, a song with a punk vibe à-la Public Image Ltd., even if sung in a softer tone when compared with John Lydon’s style.

With most of the tunes falling into the alternative pop/rock genre, jazz is clearly spotted on the cabaret-tinged “Madadayo”, a mellow, somewhat obscure dramatic piece that pushes Davis into infrequent euphonic incursions. Yet, her known adventurous pianistic twirls populate “Meet Me Online”, a song with a strong chorus, which also bursts with Halvorson’s rapid pointillism.

If the yearning that envelops “Bucharest, 1913” takes us to Radiohead’s nostalgic tonalities, the title cut wraps up the session with a folk-rock that could have been composed by Nick Drake or Sun Kil Moon.
The album was mixed by Bill Laswell and co-produced by Rodzevski and Fujiwara. Regardless of the numerous influences, the songs reveal a strong identity, flowing agreeably. However, some more time given to these extraordinary improvisers would have been beneficial.

Favorite Tracks:
03 - Your Name ► 04 - Madadayo ► 06 - Meet Me Online

Rogerio Boccato Quarteto - No Old Rain

May 22, 2018

Label: Red Piano Records, 2018

Personnel – Dan Blake: tenor and soprano saxophones; Nando Michelin: fender rhodes; Jay Anderson: bass; Rogério Boccato: drums, percussion.

Knowing the rhythmic skills of New York-based Brazilian percussionist Rogerio Boccato, it comes as no surprise that he has become one of the busiest sidemen on the scene. Recording/gigging with big names such as Maria Schneider, Kenny Garrett, John Patitucci, and Fred Hersch allowed him to mature as a musician and further develop his inspired pulses and rhythmic accents.

For his debut record, No Old Rain, Boccato sought inspiration in the music of four indisputable Brazilian masters - Milton Nascimento, Toninho Horta, Egberto Gismonti, and Edu Lobo, infusing his personal touch with the help of virtuosic saxophonist Dan Blake, bright keyboardist Nando Michelin, and veteran bassist with a silky-tone, Jay Anderson.

The quartet opens with two gems by Milton Nascimento, the first of which, “Cais”, is cooked up with rich keyboard voicings and a restless drumming that contrasts with the delicacy of Blake’s soothing lines and the sobriety of Anderson’s sparse pizzicato. Although tension is not an uncommon factor here, emerging mostly from Blake’s melodic ideas and Michelin’s bossa-like accompaniment by the end, there is always lots of space that opens the door to a comforting spirituality. This aspect is reinforced on “Clube da Esquina Nr. 2”, a moving statement whose relaxed atmosphere never dissipates candidness.

The rendition of Gismonti’s “Tango” shows the band exploring more outside the lines, providing a simpatico Hancockian backdrop for Blakes’ soprano escapades, which slightly trespasses avant-garde zones.

The introductory bass roams that launch Horta’s “Bicycle Ride” leads to soaring sax melodies, yet, the tune passes through a steamy phase before returning to that straight-from-the-shoulder languidness.

“Cravo e Canela" is delivered in six, serving well the motivic, folk-ish drives from Blake. He is a colorist whose improvisations can be neatly articulated, remarkably angular, and in-your-face. The final moments expand the melodic suggestion made in the beginning and adjust the new tempo to 6+8.

Respecting the contexts and moods in which the songs are immersed in, the instrumentalists never let their music sound gratuitous or offbeat. This aspect is verified again on Lobo’s “Canto Triste”, a beautiful, hair-raising melancholic tune, crisply arranged with some noir Laswell-like drones, scintillating organ spell, subdued percussion, and poignant saxophone moans and ululations. Contrasting with this posture, there is Horta’s “Viver de Amor”, skillfully transformed into an ear-grasping fusion of post-bop and smooth funk, and Milton’s wistful “Morro Velho”.

Boccato is a versed stylist of the rhythm, who generously works for the collective. The tunes on No Old Rain take a flow of their own, suggesting stories through the sonic canvas that mirror the quartet’s extraordinary rapport and sensitivity, regardless the pace or dynamics. I hope this is the first of many records to come.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Clube da Esquina Nr. 2 ► 07 - Canto Triste ► 09 – Viver De Amor

Benoit Delbecq 4 - Spots On Stripes

May 21, 2018

Label: Clean Feed, 2018

Personnel - Benoit Delbecq: piano; Mark Turner: tenor saxophone; John Hebert: double bass; Gerald Cleaver: drums.

Parisian pianist Benoit Delbecq conquered his own space in the edgier side of the jazz spectrum through flashes of compositional virtuosity and modernistic explorations of sound. His latest album, Spots on Stripes, features ten originals decorously shaped in the company of his talented cohorts: saxist Mark Turner, bassist John Hebert, and drummer Gerald Cleaver, all of them respected bandleaders and indomitable improvisers.

The title cut opens the recording like a free-ish, urban matrix carried out by the pungent bass/drums activity on top of which the bandleader, adopting a laid-back approach, delicately sketches sharp-angled figures. He comes back with a sack full of ostinatos after Turner sports a hip, penetrating timbre while piling up cliché-free expressions. Hebert also improvises before the jaunty theme is re-implanted.

The bassist pursues the spotlight again on “Broken World”, a lenient rubato ballad whose reflectiveness gets smaller proportions than on “Dripping Stones”, holder of an enigmatic charisma.

Anchored in a folk phrase, “Rosemary K” follows a cyclic, non-aggressive path. This tune can be paired with “De Stael”, where the simplicity and accessibility of the recurrent melody go well with the brilliancy of Turner’s wide-ranging impromptu outputs.

“The Loop of Chicago” is an explosive exteriorization marked by convulsive piano strokes, vigorous bass thumps, and an agitated drumming that never brings forth more than the necessary. On top of this guttural, primitive groove, we have Turner’s angularities, Delbecq’s improvised phrases loaded with odd intervals and hard-pressed lines, and a brief solo by Cleaver. The tune ends up enveloped in a dreamy texture weaved by soft pianism, brushed cymbals, bowed bass, and high-pitched saxophone wails.

Contrasting with “Old Vinyl”, a sculptural modal exercise packed with syncopated rhythms and enthusiastic swinging passages, “Disparition Du Si” and “Dawn Sounds” show off distinct yet hypnotic African pulses. Equipped with prepared piano, the former reminded me an old static music box, while the latter is a mesmerizing, full-steamed avant-garde number with rhythmic juxtapositions and an exuberance that harks back to Roscoe Mitchell and The Art Ensemble of Chicago.

Relying on dynamic combinations and rich tonalities while probing indefinitely, Delbecq eschews any sort of redundancy, bringing out one of the most exciting works of his career.

Favorite Tracks:
04 - The Loop of Chicago ► 06 - Dawn Sounds ► 10 - De Stael

Marc Sinan / Oguz Buyukberber - White

May 17, 2018

Label: ECM, 2018

Personnel - Marc Sinan: guitar, electronics; Oguz Buyukberber: bass clarinet, clarinet, electronics.

White is a compelling duo record co-orchestrated by German-Turkish-Armenian guitarist Marc Sinan and Turkish clarinetist Oguz Buyukberber. Trading in the modern creative and electronic music, the artists create often spacious, occasionally knotty musical textures in their symbiotic emotional expressions.

The 5-part “Upon Nothingness” was written by Sinan with the exception of the ‘White’ module, an ominously depressive piece, heavy on electronics and probing loose string pluck effects, that was penned conjointly with Oguz. Based on field recordings of Armenian prisoners of war sent to detention camps in Germany during the WWI, the suite also comprises: ‘Yellow’, in which clarinet trills get involved with guitar arpeggios in an atypical intervallic allure, having cloud-covered electronics around; ‘Blue’, an odd dance whose electronic drones seek for a denser texture, some of them deeply noir; ‘Green’, an atmospheric exercise where distorted guitar strokes trigger some rock jolt along with some calculated string scraping and volume manipulation; and the closing ‘Red’, in which the partners, motivating each other, set up another experimental scenario filled with the recurrent vocal samples of Armenian chants in the background and a bit of white noise.

Also comprising five parts, There is credited to Oguz, who skillfully squeezes written material and improvisation over the same dish to improve taste. If “There I” thrives with guitar dissonances and rapid pointillism in response to the clarinetist’s sinuous lines before the unison final phrase, then “There II” is a bold exercise exhibiting parallelisms, staccatos, and counterpoint as part of an animated conversation.

Emitting a stable effulgence, “There III” and “There V” are free roams for solo clarinet and solo guitar, respectively. They fly in the face of “There IV”, which advances calmly with an air of blissful sorrow, later turned into rapid mutual staccatos to conclude.

With an underlying feeling of abandonment allied to a solid improvisational compatibility, the pair, besides technically strong, is also very capable when it comes to electronic choices. The result is a bountiful creative freedom.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Upon Nothingness, Yellow ► 04 - There II ► 05 - Upon Nothingness, Green

Henry Threadgill - Double Up, Plays Double Up Plus

May 16, 2018

Label: Pi Recordings, 2018

Personnel – Henry Threadgill: composition, conduction; Roman Filiu: alto sax, flute; Curtis Macdonald: alto sax; David Virelles: piano, harmonium; Chris Hoffman: cello; Jose Davila: tuba; Craig Weinrib: drums, percussion.

Acclaimed alto saxophonist Henry Threadgill, a recipient of 2016 Pulitzer Prize in Music, organizes another intriguing odyssey in the 4-track Double Up, Plays Double Up Plus, one of the two albums he is releasing this year on the Pi Recordings label.

The musicians convened for this session are practically the same as in the album Old Locks and Irregular Verbs, but with two major alterations. Pianist David Bryant, who also participates in the 15-piece new ensemble that shaped Dirt…and more Dirt, replaces Jason Moran, while Luis Perdomo joins for the first time as the third pianist. The remaining elements of The Ensemble Double Up are saxophonists Roman Filiu and Curtis Macdonald, pianist David Virelles, who doubles in harmonium, cellist Christopher Hoffman, tuba wizard Jose Davila, and drummer Craig Weinrib.

The 22-minute “Game Is Up” challenges our ears with refined intricacies that range from structural to rhythmic to the way melody and harmony are cohesively knitted. An introductory piano work later finds the company of flute spellbinds in loose counterpoint with alto sax and the sure-footed tuba strides, which also keeps defining the foundation together with the drums. This ebullient polyphonic passage is interrupted to bring the piano to the forefront, this time exclusively accompanied by keen drumming techniques that involve mallets and brushes. The nimble keyboard activity originates sudden swirls, feathery classical-like movements, and jarred loud sounds counterpointing frantic trills before collective illustrations intercalate with multiple improvisations. These happen over diversified comping environments.

The band has its odd way to swing, an indistinct procedure that is also felt on the closing piece, “Clear and Distinct”. Davila inaugurates it with a deep, raucous tuba dissertation before highly motivic piano stretches, oscillating between tense and harmonious, lead us to an epic finale.

The pieces “Clear and Distinct From the Other”, versions A and B, are distinctly attractive. The first version starts with a ceremonious chamber solemnity and ends in an overflowing commotion, having a sharp alto saxophone voice stimulating the band from the midpoint on. In turn, the B version begins with solo piano but veers to a chamber dance, compressing tuba, cello, and flute lines into the same space. Similar to other tracks, the piano takes over for the last two minutes, creating arresting moments that fit into creative jazz and classical as well as modern composition.

Even staying a few steps behind when compared with the ensemble lushness displayed by his brand new 15-piece orchestra, this Double Up-plus-one session is, nevertheless, another fantastic work by master Threadgill, whose music indefinitely intrigues and enchants.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Game Is Up ► 03 - Clear and Distinct From the Other B ► 04 - Clear and Distinct

Noam Wiesenberg - Roads Diverge

May 15, 2018

Label: Brooklyn Jazz Underground Records, 2018

Personnel – Immanuel Wilkins: saxophone, clarinet; Philip Dizack: trumpet; Shai Maestro: piano; Noam Wiesenberg: acoustic bass; Kush Abadey: drums + guest Dayna Stephens: tenor saxophone.

Hailing from Tel Aviv, Noam Wiesenberg is a reliable bassist who has been a stalwart in New York, the city where he moved after graduating from Berklee in 2010. For his debut album, he surrounded himself with likes such as trumpeter and co-producer Philip Dizack, saxophonist/clarinetist Immanuel Wilkins, pianist Shai Maestro, and drummer Kush Abadey. Tenor saxophonist Dayna Stephens makes a single appearance on the title track, “Roads Diverge”, delivering a categorical solo in a tune that also gleams with provocative snare drum rolls and deep-toned piano motions promenading hand in hand with the bass.

“Prelude” opens the record with dismayed synth harmonies and lustrous bass resolutions atop, preparing the way that leads to “Resfeber”, whose title refers to an untranslatable Swedish word. Brimming with keen musical ideas and a dashing tempo feel, this number starts with solitary drums, after which Maestro sails in melodic waters for a while until the horn section brings their splendor, agitating the trip. The pianist then expresses his thoughts individually, whereas Dizack and Wilkins empathically share an improvisational timeframe, revealing enthusiasm and stimulating their linguistic capacities. Abadey is impeccable throughout, placing unexpected beats with aesthetic impact.

They follow the same rule on “Where Do We Go From Here”, blowing in and out with a zigzagging post-bop force over a sturdy harmonic progression that comprises a minimal amount of chords. Everything is well anchored in Wiesenberg’s groovy walks.

The stupendous groove in eleven attained in “Davka” favors the bluesy cruises of Maestro, who returns later for the final vamp. With excitement and power, the band melds the musculature of rock with the malleability of today’s jazz.

Two of the nine tunes smite us with balladic reflections: “Shir Le’Shir”, a silken tone poem positively affected by the potency of Wilkins’ phrasing, and Radiohead’s pop song “The Tourist”, orchestrated by the bandleader alone with multiple layers of bass, both in its arco and pizzicato forms.

Being about the power of choice and making choices, Roads Diverge shows enough assertiveness for us to conclude that Wiesenberg has made the right ones. His upright bass holds down the desirable amount of esprit to make each listening experience a gratifying, fun ride.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Resfeber ► 03 - Shir Le’Shir ► 04 - Where Do We Go From Here

Henry Threadgill 14 or 15 Kestra: Agg - Dirt... And More Dirt

May 14, 2018

Label: Pi Recordings, 2018

Personnel – Henry Threadgill: alto sax, flutes; Liberty Ellman: guitar; Chris Hoffman: cello; Jose Davila: tuba; Ben Gerstein: trombone; Jacob Garchik: trombone; Jonathan Finlayson: trumpet; Stephanie Richards: trumpet; Curtis Macdonald: alto sax; Roman Filiú: alto sax, flute; David Virelles: piano; David Bryant: piano; Thomas Morgan: bass; Elliott Humberto Kavee: drums, percussion; Craig Weinrib: drums, percussion

Saxophonist Henry Threadgill, holder of a sui-generis jazz style, debuts his 14 or 15 Ekstra: Agg, another singular project that includes guitar - adroitly handled by longtime collaborator Liberty Ellman, who also produces the record - cello, tuba, two trombones, two trumpets, two or three saxophones (depending on if Threadgill conducts or plays), two pianos, one bass, and two drums.

The album, Dirt… and More Dirt, presents ten compositions that pretty much represent the gravitating sound of the multi-awarded altoist, whose unmistakable signature, built on power, finesse, and mystery, constantly undermines the listeners’ expectations.
The Dirt section comprises six parts, the first of which opens with loose drumming and a cutting bowed bass, later reinforced by the strangeness of the harmonium and the robustness of the cello, whose plucks function as a second bass line. While the low-pitched hops of the tuba create an eccentric groove, Ellman’s guitar solo arrives with that non-conforming feel that characterizes his playing. He finds Virelles’ harmonium chords skittering and zinging behind him. Pianist David Bryant also marvels in his individual statement, at the same time that the sonic curtains get thicker and richer.

“Part II” relies on a piano conversation to make the transition into the unorthodox yet stimulating groove that assaults “Part III”. We understand alto saxes speaking with strange boppish accents and an explicative trombone reasoning with an unfussy guitar next to him. To close, we have unisons delivered with a melodic sinuosity that feels almost religious.

High-pitched trumpet blows can be found on “Part IV”, an exquisite celebration whose exuberance matches that in “Part V”. The latter is enveloped by an imaginative exaltation that comes from the horn section’s blows and reinforced with Weinrib's dry snare drum ruffs. Even when having the flutes chirping atop and the tuba vociferating at a lower level, the drummer's work is the highlight.

“Part VI” flourishes with a guitar ostinato widely expanded in an effusive communion with the actively-involved woodwind and brass instruments. This burning, convulsive altercation is suddenly disrupted to accommodate a passage where dulcet flutes mix with a stalwart trombone. They dance freely as several rattles, gongs, and other percussive elements join them with gusto.

Shorter than the Dirt, the More Dirt section encompasses four tunes that altogether run for around 12 minutes. The attractive polyrhythmic complexity of “Part I” and the solemn pianistic nocturne turned into merry folk stride on “Part IV” are the highlights. The latter piece features the bandleader, who pulls off laments, screams, and contortions with a fiery atonal determination.

As a top-tier experimentalist, Threadgill continues to innovate through a spontaneity and reflex that navigate the abstract and the emotional. For the ones experiencing the saxophonist’s forms and textures for the first time, this can be a real challenge. Yet, it's just a matter of time before concluding that his airy (de)constructions never lack drama or elegance.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Part I ► 03 - Part III ► 07 - Part I (from More Dirt)

Jamie Baum Septet+ - Bridges

May 10, 2018

Label: Sunnyside Records, 2018

Personnel – Jamie Baum: flutes, singing bowl; Amir ElSaffar: trumpet, voice; Sam Sadigursky: alto sax, bass clarinet; Chris Komer: french horn; Brad Shepik: guitar; John Escreet: piano; Zack Lober: bass; Jeff Hirshfield: drums + guests Jamey Haddad: percussion; Navin Chettri: percussion, voice, tanpura.

Jamie Baum, an in-demand flutist based in New York and a prominent figure on the current jazz scene, gathered her acclaimed Septet+ in order to release Bridges. Co-produced with the pianist Richie Beirach, the album is a multicultural feast that straddles the boundaries between various musical styles. Here, the contemporary jazz is interlaced with Arabic/maqam, Jewish, and South Asian musical traditions.

The exotic scale inherent to “From The Well”, the odd-metered piece that starts the session, suggests all those influences. Typical rock harmonic movements intercalate with the improvisations, with Baum introducing that section by delivering dexterous phrases while having Brad Shepik's cracking guitar comping in the background. Also, Sam Sadigursky conducts his fluid bass clarinet counting on the suaveness of John Escreet’s piano to support his moves. At a later stage, employing swirling techniques with both hands, the pianist becomes crucial in the creation of an avant-garde scenario that best fits Amir ElSaffar’s foreign world of fascination. The piano then acquires dreamy tones while Jeff Hirshfield’s drumming gets sprightly with cymbal preponderance. For the finale, sonic layers are tied up together, deep-laid by the competent horn section.

Influenced by a Jewish prayer and conveying a celestial peace, “Song Without Words” sounds superbly sweet-toned in the voice of ElSaffar, who got melodic support from Chris Komer’s French horn and the woodwinds. Baum penned this song in memory of her late father S. James Baum.

Hirshfield’s way of brushing the drums here is intimately relaxing, and he shows it again on “Contemplation”, the third and last part of Honoring Nepal: The Shiva Suite, which is Baum's response to the devastating 2015 Nepal earthquake. The first two movements are “The Earthquake” - initiated with singing bowl and piano, followed by a low-pressure chamber section slowly invaded by the stormy winds of Shepik and Hirshfield - and “Renewal”, which advances confidently through a priceless rhythmic disentanglement in five. Featuring percussionist Jamey Haddad, this piece exposes piano and guitar in strict textural collaboration, and also shows Baum and Sadigursky alternating bars while improvising.

Deriving from a melody of Pakistani Qawwali vocal master Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, “Joyful Lament” was arranged with Shepik’s guitar as the main focus, and the guitarist reacted with a monumental solo filled not just with blazing flames and impactful distortion but also with an open soul. It is definitely one of the boldest and most delightful moments on the album.

“Mantra” features Nepali musician Navin Chettri, who sumptuously plays tanpura and sings with a penetrating timbre. The embraced mood clashes with the one in “Ucross Me”, which almost feels like an electronic exercise due to repetitive multi-pitched phrases. Bassist Zack Lober ultimately locks a funky groove that validates ElSaffar's motivation to coloring unabashedly until Shepik appears in big once again.

Jamie Baum intelligently fuses the earthly and the spiritual, the modern and the tradition, in a lavish, catchable effort that extracts multiple abilities from this brilliant cast of players. Crossing these ‘bridges’ signifies to live rich musical experiences. What are you waiting for?

Favorite Tracks:
01 - From The Well ► 05 - Renewal ► 07 - Joyful Lament

Meg Okura - Ima Ima

May 9, 2018

Label: Self produced, 2018

Personnel - Meg Okura: violin, vocals, erhu; Tom Harrell: trumpet; Sam Newsome: soprano sax; Sam Sadigursky: bass clarinet, clarinet; Anne Drummond: flutes; Riza Printup: harp; Rez Abbasi: guitar; Brian Marsella: piano, electric piano; Pablo Aslan: bass; Jared Schonig: drums.

Japanese violinist Meg Okura records for the fourth time with her Pan-Asian Chamber Ensemble, this time having first-rate improvisers Rez Abbasi and Tom Harrell in the roster, guitarist and trumpeter, respectively. Containing seven original compositions, the album Ima Ima put on view her lucid musical vision as she explores material across the world-fusion spectrum. Thus, it’s more than common to hear timeless Eastern melodies running over contemporary jazz arrangements.

“Black Rain” is one of those cases, with the Japanese pentatonic scale integrating so well with the harmonic progression of the jazz classic “Invitation”. The inaugural Oriental enchantment that stems from violin, harp, and soprano, suddenly mutates to a bolero cadence that serves the individuality of pianist Brian Marsella.

“Ima”, meaning mom in Hebrew and now in Japanese, is a phenomenal opening. The beautiful piano/flute and harp/soprano combinations create cinematic tension throughout the introductory section, which is subsequently deviated to a waltzing route varnished with sporadic swinging segments. Sopranist Sam Newsome energizes his impromptu statement with literate swoops and rhythmic focus.

Brimming contemporary vibes, “A Summer in Jerusalem” displays Israeli sounds through the self-disciplined combination of Okura’s violin and Pablo Aslan’s bowed bass. Sam Sadigursky makes you tap your feet to the cadence by wielding a powerful deep-toned groove in seven. This steams up polychromatic keyboard attacks and punchy rhythmic accents that emerge from Jared Schonig’s roiling drumming. A chamber passage, vaguely resembling “Concierto de Aranjuez”, jumps at us before the discerning improvisations from Harrell, Abbasi, and Okura, who also colors with her vocal chants. Everything is so gentle and exciting at the same time. The complex structure still encompasses a vamp that brings back the trumpeter and the violinist to the spotlight before the reinstatement of that rousing, groovy theme.

“A Night Insomnia” is a sophisticated fusion feast. The band keeps groovin’ aplomb while embarking on a journey replete with smooth soul, funk, and ever-shifting rhythms that are constantly disrupted, just like the eight note figure that accompanies the song throughout. The violinist employs swift patterns and phrases to leap between registers, whereas Harrell swings and funks with a clever choice of notes. You’ll also hear improvisations from flute, bass clarinet, and soprano sax at the very end.

Reflective strings and woodwinds bring “Birth of Shakyamuni” to life. Sandwiched by moments of contrapuntal ostinato, Abbasi speeds up a concise yet highly articulated solo à-la Larry Coryell, contrasting with Sadigursky, whose tranquil melodies lead to a classy tango passage turned classical epic. The guitarist returns afterward for another supersonic intervention before a compelling flute incursion.

With the bandleader’s classically trained voice in evidence, “Blues in Jade” seems to explore the incorporeal. Conversely, “Tomiya” feels gleefully secular as it recreates the rhythm of a taiko drum ensemble. Elements of Japanese folk merge with jazz harmonies, shaping a gracious chamber jazz that lands on an uplifting Latinized vamp dominated by Harrell’s soloing aptitude.

Ms. Okura was able to create magical crossover soundscapes with intimacy and subtlety, resorting to a pure lyricism and fascinating collective passages that never put the homogeneity of the whole into question.

Favorite Tracks:
01 – Ima ► 02 – A Night Insomnia ► 03 – A Night Insomnia

Roman Filiu - Quarteria

May 8, 2018

Label: Sunnyside Records, 2018

Personnel – Roman Filiu: alto saxophone; Ralph Alessi: trumpet; Dayna Stephens: tenor saxophone; David Virelles: piano; Matt Brewer: bass; Craig Weinrib: drums; Yusnier Sanchez: percussion.

The adventurous forms of expression by Cuban-born, New York-based alto saxophonist Roman Filiu find uppermost expression in Quarteria, a relevant project featuring Ralph Alessi on trumpet, Dayna Stephens on tenor saxophone, David Virelles on piano, Matt Brewer on bass, Craig Weinrib on drums, and Yusnier Sanchez on percussion.

Envisioning an interesting conceptual sensibility, Filiu, an honorable member of Henry Threadgill's groups, penned all the twelve compositions on the record to serve improvisation, often resorting to an out-of-the-ordinary bond between modern jazz, classical, and Cuban music.

“Fulcanelli” is an exuberant horn-driven piece with hooky textures and zig-zag melodies. The improvisation time is distributed to the bandleader, whose conversational, often motivic approach sparks with sophisticated patterns, and Virelles, owner of a distinguished language loaded with exquisite accents and chromatic melodicism.

Highlighting Weinrib’s efficient drumming, “Grass” also displays the horn section artisans working closely with Virelles. While the pianist installs an unbending tension through the combination of sparse bass motions and recurrent atonal impulses created on the higher register, the drummer perseveres in his neurotic improvisational path.

The theme of “Harina Con Arena” is rhythmically rich in every aspect. The band pulls it off flawlessly with the pronounced Cuban vibe arriving from Sanchez’ percussive flux. Grasping an arty doctrine through his clear-cut lines, Alessi speaks modern dialects, inviting Filiu to follow a similar process. Eloquently, the saxophonist injects his declamatory urgency before Virelles conclude in a sane yet quizzical crescendo.

A trio of inventive Danzas was beautifully outlined, each one capturing its own mood. “Danza #5” is a piano improvisation; “Danza #1” not only interweaves folk melodies with Messiaen’s subtle classical intonations but also puts freewheeling jazz spontaneity side by side with percolating Cuban rhythms; and “Danza #3”, which starts with a bass soliloquy, displays impressionistic improvisations, and carries considerable vertigo in its harmonic progressions. All these three numbers find a positive equilibrium between discipline and freedom.

Countervailing with a more meditative quality, we have “Choral”, “Imperator”, and also “Tursten”, one of the two pieces featuring guest tenorist Maria Grand.

The session gets completed with “Kaijufrem”, a spellbinding piece whose passages change from lustrously poetic to harmonically rockish. The energetic groundwork forged by Brewer and Weinrib serves two purposes: thrust the band forward and provide textural robustness for the improvisers’ assaults.

Filiu transpires all his innate musicality and strong dynamism, establishing sure-footed connections between musical styles with a forward-thinking posture.

Favorite Tracks:
03 – Harina Con Arena ► 06 – Danza #1 ► 12 - Kaijufrem

Jon Irabagon Quartet + Tim Hagans - Dr. Quixotic's Traveling Exotics

May 7, 2018

Label: Irabbagast Records, 2018

Personnel – Jon Irabagon: tenor saxophone; Tim Hagans: trumpet; Luis Perdomo: piano; Yasushi Nakamura: double bass; Rudy Royston: drums.

Searchers and enthusiasts of contemporary jazz will probably agree with me about the works of saxophonist Jon Irabagon being a must-listen. Let me add that his explosive new album of originals, Dr. Quixotic’s Traveling Exotics, is one of his very best. Portentous trumpeter Tim Hagans was invited to join the saxophonist’s sonically-solid quartet, which includes musicians of the highest caliber such as pianist Luis Perdomo, bassist Yasushi Nakamura, and drummer Rudy Royston. This multi-cultured, multi-perspective collective engenders giddy dynamics with the same impact they craft inventive improvisations.

“The Demon Barber of Fleet Week” kicks off with the bandleader on his own, excavating ideas from the resourceful language he has been developed throughout the years. Trenchant rock strokes lead to an effusive bass solo over a smooth funk-inflected vamp prior to accelerated circular harmonic movements swoop down on a hyperkinetic articulation of bass and drums. The occasion serves to uphold Perdomo’s fast and thunderous flurries. The earliest rock frame of mind is then regained, time when Irabagon exerts his authority on tenor.

“Emotional Psychics/The Things” invites us to another tour-de-force locomotion that rocks and swings aplomb. The well-defined structure includes concurrent logics that take into account catchy ostinatos, free rambles, galloping counterpoint, and mutable intensities and paces. Followed closely by Hagans, the saxophonist shows determination and resolve in his rhythmic ideas and melodic paths. This piece guarantees such a fun ride, swamping us in its lively extravagance.

With a natural predisposition to diversify paces and textures, the quintet digs “You Own Your Own”, a fantastic integration of written score and improvised material. A revolutionary hip-hop rhythm, sturdy bass strolls, and punchy Coltranean lines, whether delivered in unison or counterpoint, join the introductory piano with avidness. While exchanging sparkling phrases with grip and receptiveness, Hagans and Irabagon bring the house down with their vertiginous eloquence.

Carrying something gypsy or Spanish, and at the same time mixing elements of avant-garde and post-bop, “The Bo’Ness Monster” highlights not only the expeditious rides of the horn section, packed with fiery and indomitable energy, but also the remarkable piano work by Perdomo, whose melodicism gravitates between Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea. His improvisation comes suffused with delightful angularities that make us beg for more.

The group eases the rampant impetuosity with “Pretty Like North Dakota”, an emotionally driven piece that starts circumspectly and ends boldly, culminating the session with a sonic description of the “Taipei Personality”. Expect percolating rhythms and syncopation, variations in motion, tight interplay, and vibrant solos.

Nothing in this music is pointless or forced, in the same way that everything is tangible, honest and risk-taking. Irabagon shows off brilliant compositional skills and a personal tenor conception that elevates him to a superior level.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - The Demon Barber of Fleet Week ► 02 - Emotional Psychics/The Things ► 04 - The Bo’Ness Monster

Larry Goldings / Peter Bernstein / Bill Stewart - Toy Tunes

May 3, 2018

Label: Pirouet, 2018

Personnel – Larry Goldings: hammond organ; Peter Bernstein: guitar; Bill Stewart: drums.

The trio of jazz organist Larry Goldings, guitarist Peter Bernstein and drummer Bill Stewart, has started their adventures back in 1991 with the album Intimacy of the Blues, at that time led by the organist . Toy Tunes, a collective effort, is their twelfth album, and like has been happening before, includes originals penned by all the three musicians, jazz standards, and other remarkable compositions by creative minds such as Wayne Shorter and Carla Bley.

The trio opens the session with “Fagen”, an easy-going ride marked by an affable melody. Goldings dedicates it to the adult contemporary rock singer and keyboardist Donald Fagen, one of the two co-founders of Steely Dan. One can enjoy a sweet relaxation in this song, which leisurely unfolds from the smooth theme to dedicated improvisations by the organist and the guitarist.

Stewart’s “Don’t Ever Call Me Again” was first included on Scott Colley Quartet’s 1997 album Subliminal, getting the first-rate treatment here as it shapes into a sultry groovy song conform to a 6/4-meter signature. The melody, empathically expressed with playful irony by Bernstein, is placed on the top of the rich organ harmonies and contagious drumming pulse.

Bernstein is a masterful colorist, both harmonically and melodically, and his rubato introductory section of “Lullaby For B”, a waltz he wrote for his son, carries shades of Jim Hall in the chord voicings.

Both the standard “I’m In The Mood For Love” and Charles Strouse’s “Maybe”, a number from his Broadway musical Annie, follow similar structural alignments, with Goldings designing the A sections of the theme and Bernstein taking care of the Bs. The latter piece spreads a swinging perfume that favors the rounded post-bop trajectories of the guitarist. After the respective improvisations, guitarist and organist team up by alternating eight bars of logical, creative phrasing before Stewart’s tasteful attacks.

Shorter’s “Toy Tune” is presented with less 30 seconds than the original version, which dated from 1980, and comes wrapped in the same sophisticated harmonic complexity. However, I missed the sound of the saxophone and the tune didn’t touch me as much as Carla Bley’s “And Now The Queen”, a beautiful four-bar melody reiterated with a mutable expressionistic touch. This song, tackled many times by pianist Paul Bley in solo mode, loses its reflective nicety in detriment of a futuristic organ-driven experimentalism. It never loses its achingly emotional quality, though.

With an incredible facility of adaptation, the trio dynamically convenes a set of jazz compositions for all tastes, treating each note, chord, and pulsation with a fleshed-out sense of purpose.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Fagen ► 02 - Don’t Ever Call Me Again ► 05 - And Now The Queen

McClenty Hunter Jr. - The Groove Hunter

May 2, 2018

Label: Strikezone Records, 2018

Personnel - Stacy Dillard: tenor saxophone; Eric Reed: piano; Corcoran Holt: bass; McClenty Hunter: drums + guests Eddie Henderson: trumpet; Donald Harrison: alto saxophone; Dave Stryker: guitar; Christian Sands: piano, Rhodes; Eric Wheeler: bass.

The drumming qualities of McClenty Hunter could be fully enjoyed throughout the years while performing with Kenny Garrett, Eric Reed, Jim Snidero and Dave Stryker. His faultless rhythmic drives have a special meaning now since he gathered some of the most revered heavyweights on the scene to play with him on The Groove Hunter, his debut full-length album. The guest appearances include emblematic musicians like trumpeter Eddie Henderson, altoist Donald Harrison, and guitarist Dave Stryker, but also emergent talents such as pianist Christian Sands and bassist Eric Wheeler on three tunes each. They expanded the possibilities of a tight core quartet composed of Stacy Dillard on tenor sax, Eric Reed on piano, Corcoran Holt on bass, and McClenty in the drummer’s chair.

The album, pure post-bop thrill, comprises four gentle originals and a selection of five exciting covers. It kicks off with Herbie Nichols’ “Blue Chopsticks”, delivered in a classic piano trio format and exhibiting a push-forward attitude with fascinating rhythmic accents. After demonstrating his energy while trading fours with his bandmates, Hunter eases down his tempting rudiments so that Holt’s bass may speak.

Wayne Shorter’s “The Big Push” is tremendous lush playing, having the first 16 bars defined exclusively by horns in parallel and drums. The Cookers’ members, Harrison and Henderson, contribute with their vitality as soloists, well seconded by Reed and Dillard before the reinstatement of the mesmerizing theme.

Adrenalized by Harrison’s fiery blows, “Countdown”, a Coltrane classic, starts with dynamic drums and sticks to a rhythmic locomotion that only captures the original melody in the last half minute.

The diversification also includes an interpretation of Stevie Wonder’s “That Girl”, packed as an elastic crossover jazz with improvisations by Sands and Stryker, as well as Gary McFarland’s “Sack Full Of Dreams”, a beautiful moment of brushed relaxation with the same couple of soloists opting for balmy, often bluesy melodies with deep feeling attached to their phrasings. I was struck by a joyous tranquility while listening to it.

Pleasurable were also McClenty’s original compositions, predominantly explorative of the 3/4 meter along with a contemplation of melody that doesn’t cheat or disappoint. The one touching me the most was “My Love”, where the drummer, brushing elegantly, finds a poetic meaning in the combination of bowed bass and a delicate classical-imbued piano movement à-la Franz Liszt, before veering to a spiritual waltz with much to be admired. Dillard projects his tenor prayers in a soulful way, well followed by Reed, whose note choices and phrase constructions are riveting. Both are at the height of their improvisational prowess.

The concluding piece, “Give Thanks”, exquisitely propelled by mallets for a deep-toned sound, also deserves a mention.

The Hunter Groove is a notable jazz ride whose tightness and dynamism defines the rhythmic pathos of a gifted drummer who will certainly conquer much more in the future.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - The Big Push ►05 - My Love ► 06 - Sack Full of Dreams

Jeff Swanson - Case-fitter

May 1, 2018

Label: Bace Records, 2018

Personnel – Jeff Swanson: guitar, electronics; Greg Ward: alto sax; Dustin Laurenzi: tenor, OP1; Artie Black: bass clarinet, tenor sax; Quentin Coaxum: trumpet; Paul Bedal: Fender Rhodes; Lane Beckstrom: electric bass; Greg Artry: drums.

With his debut full-length album, Case-fitter, guitarist/composer Jeff Swanson cultivates the already vibrant Chicago jazz scene with a set of seven plucky compositions. This live recording was a product of a four-week residency at The Whistler in Chicago, in which the bandleader formed a consistent rhythm section with Paul Bedal on Fender Rhodes, Lane Beckstrom on bass, and Greg Artry on drums, and had a valuable frontline of explorers with him: Greg Ward on alto saxophone, Dustin Laurenzi on tenor and OP1, Artie Black on bass clarinet and tenor, and Quentin Coaxum on trumpet.

“Graham’s” makes a very good impression, opening the recording with frontal horn manifestations within an affecting pop/rock nature that, having started with a musing posture, gets infectiously bracing over the course of the improvisational section. The first improviser that steps to the forefront is Coaxum, whose translucent melodies are transformed into high flies. Before Ward sets about a juicy narration strategy, we have the tenor explorations of Laurenzi, whose language and timbral appeal cause rhythmic reactions in his peers.

Boasting a furiously active horn section, “Two-Nineteen” covers the ground with a full-throttle rhythm and enveloping bass lines. The soloists take distinct approaches, with Ward sounding much more neurotic than Bedal or the bandleader, who crafts his first solo on the record with faded shades of sepia and gray. On the 17-minute “F-Bomb”, a composition propelled by a laid-back rhythmic flux and buoyed by the druggy expressivity of the horns in unison, he is in evidence again, this time through bluesy melodic drives. The tension comes and goes whimsically as the artists extend themselves in individualistic efforts.

Swanson and his associates are practitioners of an engaging jazz that may be burning, accessible, and more experimental. The latter case is mirrored on “MF”, a piece containing harmonics, drones, and vocal samples in an incipient electronic haze. The mood is renewed into something more probationary when the trumpeter discourses on top of chromatic bass movements and restless drumming. The rhythm section almost swings by the end, but the experimental procedures with Artry’s turbulent press rolls in the foreground, engulf this intention. This is very contrasting not only with “Little Big Run”, an Afro-funk examination, more in the style of Abdullah Ibrahim than Randy Weston, with a collective romp at the end, but also with “Let The Children Play”, where hard-rock surfaces meet jazz and folkish phrasing.

The excitement of playing live sometimes extends the improvisations a little too long. That is a fact that Swanson has to deal with. However, the band enthusiastically channels their waves of passion and driving energy to convey emotions in an ardent way. They were particularly successful in this fundamental aspect.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Graham’s ► 04 - F-Bomb ► 05 - Little Big Run