Jesse Byrom-Carter - The Next Tomorrow is Yesterday

September 5, 2019

Label: Self produced, 2019

Personnel - Alex Quinn: trumpet; Michael Bliss: alto saxophone; Alan Ferber: trombone; Eric Quinn: trombone; Alina Engibaryan: vocals; Adam Rogers: guitar; Ryan Slatko: piano; Santiago Leibson: piano; Jesse Byrom-Carter: upright and electric basses; Ken Ychicawa: drums.

Boasting a compositional vein in the line of trumpeter Alex Sipiagin, Australian bassist Jesse Byrom-Carter enlisted a group of both consecrated players and new seekers for his no-frills post-bop debut album, The Next Tomorrow is Yesterday. In the sequence of a few significant gigs at important New York venues and some rewarding collaborations with acclaimed musicians, Byrom-Carter decided that it was time for leadership, a task he handled with distinction.

The title track opens the album with a refined taste in the orchestration. The experienced guitarist Adam Rogers stands out for a brief moment, but remains linked to the rest of the crew by subsequent unisons. Before his anticipated solo takes place, Grammy-nominee trombonist Alan Ferber, a weighty guest, shows how to build a fine, unhurried speech with enjoyment and focused narrative sense. During the vamp that precedes the finale, the band makes sure to stimulate Ken Ychikawa to intensify his crisp drum chops.

Odd-meter is not an unusual practice here, but “As Is”, with a groovy A section in nine, captures our ears in that sense. The tempo shifts in the B section, though. Rogers stretches out with elasticity and is immediately followed by the bandleader, whose unambiguous statements, besides groovy and spacious, possess a personal charisma. He embarks on another impromptu discourse on “Metamorphosis”, a swinging post-bop fantasy, which, starting at 4/4 and ending at 3/4, indicates a proper pulse control. Pianist Ryan Slatko speaks according to the former time signature, while Rogers and alto saxophonist Michael Bliss trade bars after the tempo variation.

Vocalist Alina Engibaryan displays the scope of her warmhearted voice on “Dreams Untethered”, a gently brushed waltz that unfolds with serenity, as well as on “Edge of Space”, which evolves with a rich R&B feel reminiscent of Stevie Wonder. Both pieces have lyrics written by Byrom-Carter, yet, on the former, she ventures into improvisation with impressive harmonic insight. “Hy Brasil” is another selection where we can hear her voice projected in unison with the horn section. There are no words this time and, despite the title, no major bossa or samba feel is detected, but rather an adult contemporary jazz outlined with popping electric bass lines. Following Alex Quinn’s trumpet solo, the tune shifts in tempo, incorporating another measure of Rogers’ talents as a soloist.

Pianist Santiago Leibson, who had shone on “As Is”, also steps forward on “Hand of Fate”, doing it with chromatic shifts and other legitimate ideas.

Garnished with dynamic shifts and some interesting solos, this cerebrally structured first recording will certainly serve to raise Byrom-Carter’s profile.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - The Next Tomorrow is Yesterday ► 02 - As Is ► 03 - Dreams Untethered

Lafayette Gilchrist - Dark Matter

September 4, 2019

Label: Lafayette Music, 2019

Personnel - Lafayette Gilchrist: piano.

Baltimore-based pianist Lafayette Gilchrist, a member of David Murray Black Saint Quartet, has not been documented that thoroughly throughout his career. His newest CD, Dark Matter, marks his second solo effort and was inspired by the invisible force that holds the universe together. Played with freedom and recorded live, the 11 original compositions that compose the album come to life as a hub of styles, embracing jazz in a variety of currents - funk, blues, and almost indistinct hints of hip hop.

Regardless the amount of variations and contrasts that his music has to offer, Gilchrist coaxes the blues out of almost every note he plays. The genre irrigates tunes such as the chunky “For The Go Go”, a homage to the Baltimore-Washington D.C. funk subgenre go-go music (a unique regional style with which the pianist is very familiar); “And You Know This”, whose faintly spiritual aura is swallowed by a rock n’ roll-ish cadence that is also vividly felt on “Happy Birthday Sucka”; and “Blues For Our Marches To End”, a strutter written in 2014 as a reaction to the police shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.

The pianist stirs “The Love Bind” with his disciplined stride piano technique, placing the bass notes in constant counterpoint with the ideas and flourishes delivered by an agile right hand. In turn, “Spontaneous Combustion”, whose title may suggest some sort of avant-garde spontaneity, starts with classical-like movements that, little by little, are overcome by a resolutely paced rockish cadenza. However, its flow keeps being interrupted by quieter lyrical segments. This sort of rhythmic variations are also a constant on “Child’s Play”, whose mutable parts beautifully integrate heartfelt melodies, bluesy figures, and soulful chords. There’s some sort of playfulness amidst the predominant affectionate tones.

Gilchrist’s sense of phrasing is fluent yet veers to pondering whenever the narrative demands it. To my ears, the darker and more reflective tunes are by far the most interesting. The haunting title cut, for example, bears this dark-hued, Horace Tapscott-fueled post-bop feel populated by subversive notes that simultaneously shock and astound. While implying a strolling tempo and negotiating lower regions, the pianist brandishes a marvel of a tune.

In the same line of the latter, the poignant “Old Whale Bones”, inspired by archeological digs, drifts with no apparent destination until vehement, boisterous chords finalize its journey, while on “Black Flight”, a melancholic tribute to the African-American WWII fighter pilots Tuskegee Airmen, Gilchrist covers the range of the keyboard in order to fuse dramatic, mournful, and enigmatic sounds with logic and precision.

Balancing elated and ruminative moods and ideas, Dark Matter is a valid, yet unexceptional offering from a mature pianist who doesn't give up searching for exposure.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Child’s Play ► 03 - Dark Matter ► 08 - Old Whale Bones

Avishai Cohen / Yonathan Avishai - Playing The Room

September 3, 2019

Label: ECM Records, 2019

Personnel - Avishai Cohen: trumpet; Yonathan Avishai: piano.

Trumpeter Avishai Cohen and pianist Yonathan Avishai, two kindred spirits prone to appealing nuanced interaction, celebrate their old friendship and fruitful musical partnership (started at a young age when they were still living in Tel Aviv) on Playing The Room, their debut duo recording. The album includes two originals, one from each musician, and many nods to prominent artists in a variety of styles.

The first two pieces on the album are the original compositions. The first is “The Opening” by Cohen, which spills sentiment all over with rubato lyricism and a melody that recalls the standard “My One And Only Love”. The second track is Yonathan’s “Two Lines”, a ravishingly textured enterprise whose magnetic suspensions are composed of anchored piano pedals and precise unisons. Later on, it airs further gracefulness and expands horizons when Cohen’s trumpet lines dance all over Yonathan’s lush chords and temperate activities.

Among the eight chosen covers, there is one that immediately stands out: John Coltrane’s “Crescent” is simply astonishing. The tune is subjected to a reverent, personal treatment of dark and bright shades, and without losing a bit of spirituality, feels like a lament. It starts off with trumpet, whose fully-formed melodies come filled with emotion and transparency. On its side, the wide-ranging piano work is sculpted with dramatic heft and a multitude of colors. It’s a fulfilling experience.

Abdullah Ibrahim’s “Kofifi Blue”, which still holds that lovable African feel, and Duke Ellington’s dulcet “Azalea”, are consciously melodic pieces, following a more typical structure and form. On the latter, the musicians’ highly contrasting pitches create a positive effect, and you’ll find penetrating trumpet notes being set against the unostentatious, occasionally crawling pianism.

Ornette Coleman’s blithesome “Dee Dee” comes equipped with that inherent free bop urgency and lively folkish melody, which tours in unison for a while before split into both shimmering counterpoint and free ramble. The rhythmic work of both players is fundamental and their coordination noteworthy.

If, at this point, you still doubt about the versatility of this expressive duo, then listen to the album’s two last pieces. They are “Sir Duke”, Stevie Wonder’s funk/R&B tribute to Duke Ellington, which in this piano-driven rendition gains a slight Afro pulse while keeping the original melody distinguishable; and “Shir Eres”, a lullaby by Israeli composer Sasha Argov, whose classical intonation recalls Erik Satie in the mood.

Boundless in the elements from which they draw inspiration, Cohen and Yonathan prove to have a solid rapport and cook up an accessible offering stuffed with adventurous moments.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Two Lines ► 03 - Crescent ► 04 - Azalea

The Curtis Brothers - Algorithm

August 29, 2019

Label: Truth Revolution Records, 2019

Personnel - Donald Harrison: alto saxophone; Brian Lynch: trumpet; Zaccai Curtis: piano; Luques Curtis: bass; Ralph Peterson: drums.

Brothers Zaccai and Luques Curtis, pianist and bassist, respectively, have been strong and stable presences on the top jazz scene with participations in widely recognized projects by pianist Eddie Palmieri, trumpeter Brian Lynch, drummer Ralph Peterson, and saxophonist Donald Harrison. The latter three heavyweights and former jazz mentors join them again (seven years after Completion of Proof) on Algorithm, a stirring post-bop album recorded live and released on the brothers’ record label, Truth Revolution Records.

Six out of the nine chapters of the new album were titled according to mathematical terminology, while the remaining three allude to their mentors with designations such as “Chief”, “The Professor”, and “Sensei”. The first noted tune was written for Harrison, who, communicating joy in his articulated spontaneity, takes his stretch to a peak. Sliding effortlessly with a three time feel, “The Professor” pays tribute to Lynch, whose potent attacks and comprehensive range on the trumpet are something. He goes insanely bluesy in his genuine statement, producing a hair-raising effect by meaning every note he plays. Although Peterson is also impressive on this one, showing off his irresistible drive and complementing it with wise displacements and transitions, it was on “Sensei”, where the band was reduced to a trio format, that he had the chance to explore polyrhythm. The latter tune, a stalwart teamwork effort, is cooked up with piquant Afro-Cuban flavors analogous to the ones found on “Parametrics”, another vehicle for Lynch’s hot blows and Zaccai’s consistently melodic crests and troughs.

The opener, “Three Points and a Sphere” is a post-bop homage to saxophonist Jackie McLean and his wife Dollie, the founding executive director of the Artists Collective, Inc. of Hartford, Connecticut. The tune is front-loaded with acrobatic rhythm kicks and accents, which are transported to the solo section, often pervading the swinging flow and then disrupting it. This fact is not an obstruction to hot-blazing discourses delivered by all.

“Phi” and “Torus” ooze serenity from their soothing harmonic progressions and breathable passages. A glorious Poinciana-inspired Cuban rhythm propels the former, while the latter, incorporating a polished rubato intro before diving into a waltz, is shaped through sparkling brushwork, obstinate bass pedals, refined improvisations by the brothers, and backing horn melodies. At odds with this relaxation, we have “Undefined”, which relies on a particular rhythmic concept by Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, and also “Staircase of Mount Meru”, a dazzling salute to the Indian mathematician Pingala. For each one of these, the ensemble works on tension and release with passion and logic.

The quintet defends a well-structured contemporary aesthetic without forgetting the essence of the past, mixing elements of present-day post-bop, mature hard bop, Latin, and soul jazz within a framework where the players can shine both individually and collectively.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Three Points and a Sphere ► 02 - Phi ► 06 - The Professor

Ben Wolfe - Fatherhood

August 28, 2019

Label: Self-released, 2019

Personnel - Immanuel Wilkins: alto saxophone; JD Allen: tenor saxophone; Giveton Gelin: trumpet; Luis Perdomo: piano; Orrin Evans: piano; Ben Wolfe: bass; Donald Edwards: drums.

Ben Wolfe, a bassist from Baltimore with a deeply centered sound, pays tribute to his late father on Fatherhood, a collection of ten accessible tunes (nine Wolfe originals and one standard) offering old and new flavors. Wolfe worked with everybody, from Woody Shaw to Wynton Marsalis to a bunch of disparate pianists like Diana Krall, Harry Connick Jr., Eric Reed, and James Moody.

For this special recording, he convened longtime associates - pianists Luis Perdomo and Orrin Evans, tenor saxist JD Allen, and drummer Donald Edwards - but also intense players from the new generation, cases of vibraphonist Joel Ross and altoist Immanuel Wilkins, two young lions who start off their duties here by alternating bars on “Blind Seven”, a re-contextualized former hit. They do it under a sweltering swinging pressure and before the theme statement, following a completely different arrangement from what was presented in the original 1997 version. A competent quartet of strings produces a curious undercurrent here. Its presence might not be a novelty in Wolfe’s music - he had incorporated it on No Strangers Here (Maxjazz, 2008) - but gives a unique touch to seven of the ten pieces, where they bridge the worlds of jazz and classical music.

There are plenty of swinging moments along the way, with “Opener” and “The Enforcer” at the head of the list. The former features the relaxed phrasing from 19-year-old Bahamian trumpeter Giveton Gelin, in addition to JD Allen’s tenor blows, carried out with inside focus and strong hard-bop feel, and pianist Orrin Evans’ explorations with occasional horn fills decorating the scenario. In turn, the latter piece, dedicated to former NBA player Maurice Lucas, is a post-bop groover featuring Allen and Ross in parallel but also discoursing individually with astute rhythmic maneuvers.

“Edged” does justice to its title, flowing restlessly with a 9/4 time prior to incurring in some wise rhythmic variations. Under the unfaltering guidance of Wolfe and Edwards, it’s very safe to expand ideas, and that’s what Ross and Perdomo bring about. Together, and in the good company of the string quartet put together by Grammy-nominated violinist Jesse Mills, they intonate a fleet of emotions.

The choices are varied when it comes to ballads, in their majority based off of tradition. “Gone Now”, for example, has the young British saxophonist Ruben Fox evoking Lester Young with a breathy, mellow tone; “It’s True” offers sympathetic melodies limned by vibraphone and violin; and Bob Haggart’s “What’s New”, the sole non-original on the record, doesn’t need an introduction but was re-arranged with a cultivated taste.

I couldn’t finish this review without raving about “The Kora La”, a half-meditative, half-expansive odyssey across the Himalayan region that picturesquely illustrates this linking point between China and Nepal. Swinging passages alternate with classical reflections, where the presence of the strings is deeply felt. While Perdomo decorates his movements with lavish rhythmic figures, Wilkins makes a hair-raising entrance, after which he rises with creative ideas.

Mature jazz is the result of this assemblage of well-rounded and versatile musicians interpreting compositions that will have no trouble to connect with the audiences.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Blind Seven ► 05 - The Enforcer ► 07 - The Kora La

Enrico Rava / Joe Lovano - Roma

August 27, 2019

Label: ECM Records, 2019

Personnel - Enrico Rava: trumpet; Joe Lovano: tenor saxophone, tarogato; Giovanni Guidi: piano; Dezron Douglas: double bass; Gerald Cleaver: drums.

Italian trumpeter Enrico Rava and American saxophonist Joe Lovano, two formidable improvisatory forces and master impressionists, have been determinant in the evolution of jazz as a style. However, their connection with the German-based record label ECM occurred in different time periods. Whereas the trumpeter made his debut in 1975 with the masterpiece The Pilgrim and the Stars, the saxophonist only recently brought his ample musical charms to the cited imprint with the co-led project Trio Tapestry.

They now record together for the first time, forming an implacable bond and co-leading a corkscrewing Italian-American quintet whose remaining members belong to a younger generation and come from distinct backgrounds - Italian pianist Giovanni Guidi has been Rava’s faithful collaborator for many years, bringing his modern creative style to the table; American bassist Dezron Douglas has demonstrated a voracious appetite for hybrid styles where he typically bridges the worlds of jazz, funk, and soul; and the well-versed Brooklyn-based drummer Gerald Cleaver is frequently spotted in avant-jazz settings.

The five tracks on this album were recorded live at the Auditorium Parco Della Musica, Rome, with the group kicking things off with two beautiful Rava compositions. The opener, “Interiors” (retrieved from the 2009 album New York Days), starts as a sluggish waltz guided by sparse piano, earth-toned bass notes, and brushed snare drum. The melody is first introduced by Lovano and the music becomes wondrously polyphonous after Rava steps in. The trumpeter takes it to an emotional peak, driving us through peaks and valleys while boasting his enormous pitch range and dauntless rhythmic acrobatics. Though, he never eschews that incredibly melodic quality that defines his style. An exquisite bolero ambiance takes form as Guidi begins to talk, smooth and reserved at first, and then confident and fluid. The second piece is the old “Secrets” (included in the 1987 album of the same name), a breezy 4/4 cruise where the two frontmen cut loose with sharp statements. Rava's balance between tension and relaxation draws instinctive reactions from Cleaver, while Lovano shows off his dazzling post-bop language with a preference for the lower and middle registers.

The quintet swings hard and true on Lovano’s “Fort Worth” (a funky 24-bar blues originally included in the 1992 album From The Soul), which gets underway with an anxious bass pedal in tandem with a ride cymbal continuum. The saxophonist simply knocks us out in his tradeoffs with Rava. The lancinating propulsion of his phrasing is what drives this high-flying blowing jam into a heated climax.

Lovano lends another two compositions to the project: the more abstract and bemused “Divine Timing”, a new composition, and the innocuous “Drum Song”, which opens an 18-minute medley that also comprises John Coltrane’s “Spiritual” and Harold Arlen’s ballad standard “Over The Rainbow”. This three-song aggregation induces an initial rubato feel processed with a conscientious bass proem, prayerful Hungarian tárogató lines, and the skittering motion of Cleaver, who builds tension around the toms and cymbals. It then changes to that Coltranean 3/4 modal aura filled with spiritual chants, before ending with Guidi’s benevolent solo rendering of the above-mentioned and million-times-played standard.

Rava and Lovano not only vouch for thrills that give you a good shake, but also search for spirituality with pathos and fervor.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Interiors ► 03 - Fort Worth ► 05 - Drum Song / Spiritual / Over The Rainbow

Olli Hirvonen - Displace

August 26, 2019

Label: Ropeadope Records, 2019

Personnel - Olli Hirvonen: guitar; Luke Marantz: piano; Marty Kenney: bass; Nathan Ellman-Bell: drums.

Up-and-coming Finnish guitarist Olli Hirvonen is conquering his own space in the modern fusion sphere. Based in Brooklyn, he has been a valuable sideman in Brian Krock’s successful projects, Big Heart Machine and Liddle. This year, he is releasing Displace, his third album as a leader and his debut on Ropeadope Records. With rich ideas sprouting from his unreserved musical mind, he brilliantly consolidates distinct genres into his original compositions, played with partners he knows well. Indeed, pianist Luke Marantz, bassist Marty Kenney, and drummer Nathan Ellman-Bell had all contributed to the guitarist’s previous recording, New Helsinki (Edition Records, 2017).

The assorted repertoire is attractive and “No Light”, the CD's opener, shows right away what the group is capable of. Thunderous piano convulsions announce a swaggering entrance in the post-rock and prog-rock realms. Hirvonen employs crystalline harmonics with the finest of tastes and then discourses with incontestable jazz authority, notwithstanding the fact of being pinched by an ingrained rock stimulus. The stellar comping offered by Marantz can be fully savored before he throws in tantalizing improvised lines with clarity and agility.

Following this big impression, the title cut is a prog-rock stunner in seven, exhibiting two different layers of chords for a polyrhythmic effect. Sagacity is found in Ellman-Bell’s beat displacements, and the intricate distorted melodicism makes you constantly immersed in the music. During his improvisation, Hirvonen brews metal licks with tension and drama, while Marantz starts in a prudent way, building up muscle as his speech develops. The final quarter brings an effusive drumming flux with gorgeous accents, patterns, and fills to center stage, with slabs of noise enshrouding them.

The immutable “Size Constancy” and “Tactile” make sympathetic observations. The former, an art rock-meets-bluesy jazz song ruled by a 6/8 tempo, is prone to unisons and ostinatos, whereas the latter, inspired by Dave Holland’s writing, delves into a perfectly danceable funk rock delivered with an electronic vibe and armed with a piping hot, Zappa-inspired guitar solo.

“Faction” lodges complex unison melodies, which navigate jazzy harmonies before guitar and piano start a passionate dialogue. Individual statements are also of note.

On practically every tune, the band knows how to chill out through quieter passages, preventing the atmospheres from getting too dense. Yet, the closing piece, “Unravel”, offers something different, boasting an indie country-pop airiness from tip to toe and having the skilled acoustic fingerpicking disseminating luminous rays of hope.

Hirvonen conceives a gripping and somewhat intriguing record that it is just so fun to listen to. If you haven’t heard his name before, you certainly will soon.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - No Light ► 02 - Displace ► 07 - Unravel

Steve Lehman Trio with Craig Taborn - The People I Love

August 22, 2019

Label: Pi Recordings, 2019

Personnel - Steve Lehman: alto saxophone; Craig Taborn: piano; Matt Brewer: bass; Damion Reid: drum set.

Alto saxophonist and composer Steve Lehman is considered one of the most authoritative figures and highest exponents of modern jazz. However, not willing to settle down in that designation, he keeps ceaselessly looking for new ways to expand creativity. For his latest recording, he has invited the tremendous pianist Craig Taborn to join his remarkable rhythm section composed of bassist Matt Brewer and drummer Damion Reid. Allowing you to experience more resplendence than darkness, The People I Love also serves to celebrate the 10-year existence of the original trio.

The jarring melodies and polyrhythmic feel of “Prelude”, a shortly improvised sax-piano duet, lead us to the febrile drama of “Ih Calam And Ynnus”, a sensory catharsis where Lehman’s cutting-edge language stridently hits the propulsive navigation of piano, bass, and drums. Besides guaranteeing a quirky chordal thrust, Taborn shows off unhesitant reflexes at the time he starts improvising. Right after his massive flights, the forward-thinking pianist dispenses clever accompaniment for Brewer, who, after deliberating with confidence, unites his voice to the saxophonist’s.

The disconcerting additive meter of “Curse Fraction”, a tune first recorded in 2007, may be disorienting for the listener, but the soloists - Lehman and Taborn - bring their A-games while feeling completely at home, curiously opting for distinct modes of expression in order to describe similar viewpoints. In this case, the solicitous posture and counterintuitive volubility of the saxophonist deviates from the gallant mannerisms of the pianist.

If Dialect Fluorescent, the trio's first studio album released six years ago, included fresh readings of interesting tunes coming from a variety of sources - from Coltrane to Jackie McLean to Duke Pearson, then The People I Love follows the same concept, collecting a broader variety of genres and moods. The offerings include Autechre’s “qPlay”, which preserves the dark/light intermittence as well as the breakbeat-infused vibes; Kurt Rosenwinkel’s “A Shifting Design”, a strenuous, piano-less exercise retrieved unedited from a rehearsal tape in which Lehman shouts parables over Reid’s responsive, hip-hop-flavored drum flow; Jeff Tain Watts’s “The Impaler”, which is coupled with Lehman’s “Echoes” (taken from the octet album Travail Transformation and Flow) and loaded with a fresh nu-bop energy; and the accessible “Chance”, a 3/4 piece by pianist Kenny Kirkland, whose startling beauty is the product of the combination of melodious sax contours, shimmering brushwork, and just the right number of rooted bass notes not to lose the desired ambiguity.

“Beyond All Limits” is another Lehman composition included in a former octet album (Mise En Abime) and subjected to a sensational arrangement for the current format. Brewer cooks up a lovely preface before putting in motion an Afro-centric dance that later modulates in a breezier rhythmic flux. Already with the impeccable harmonic work from the pianist coloring the scene, Lehman exhibits some of the qualities that define him as a peerless improviser. Discoursing with fire, he resolves his phrases with caustic notes, leaving a sensation of both excitement and suspension in the air. Taborn’s phenomenal sweeps and punctual flurries are strictly cooperative in bringing the quartet to its best. Laughs are heard at the end.

This keen-witted jazz professed with ferocity and abandon is something you can’t afford to miss.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Ih Calam And Ynnus ► 03 - Curse Fraction ► 07 - Beyond All Limits

Sam Gill's Coursed Waters - Many Altered Returns

August 20, 2019

Label: Earshift Music, 2019

Personnel - Sam Gill: alto saxophone; Novak Manojlovic: piano; Jacques Emery: bass; James McLean: drums.

Sydney-based alto saxophonist/composer Sam Gill boasts the typical nerve that characterizes adherents of avant-garde jazz and new music. His Coursed Waters quartet, a Sydney/Melbourne collaboration featuring Novak Manojlovic on piano, Jacques Emery on bass, and James McLean on drums, play six Gill’s original compositions structured in such a way that spontaneous creativity is encouraged. Many Altered Returns is the quartet’s first recording and its explorative homogeneity makes pretty hard for us to pick a favorite track.

However, I can point out two related pieces that quickly got my attention: “Fortean Nights” and “Fortean Days”. Any type of phenomena was found in them, but the ‘Nights’ version is a searching, darker exertion with piano in the foreground and uncanny mallet drumming conducive to a more serious and stern expression. After some leisure rambles punctuated with bursts of intensity, a puzzling silence pulls the band into a different direction. Concerning its concluding phase, you can imagine a more muscled version of an Esbjorn Svenson’s groove, climaxing in a fluid stream in nine with shifting piano chords and well-rooted bass notes. On the ‘Days’ version, Gill steps forward, freeing up unorthodox phrases packed with Dolphy-esque intervals. He explores outside conventional bounds, making his alto upsurges gain further impact in the presence of Manojlovic’s inventive piano tapestries.

Although containing identifiable composed parts, the music feels like totally invented on the spot. The opener, “Nodap”, hinges some complexity in its variations and brings to my mind the nonconformism of players like Tim Berne and Loren Stillman. The saxophone joins the resilient pianism eked out with arpeggiated delights and brisk patterns, and both paint a story over a rhythmic template set out by jittery drum attacks and renewed bass rounds. An engrossing enigmatic passage is then activated, emerging with sparse, ominous bowed bass, saxophone impulsive shouts delivered with timbral variety, snare drum eruptions, and controlled piano whirls with some loose fragmented ideas thrown in the mix. The interaction turns out conversational as the tune advances.

As you may have guessed by now, melody is not a priority on this recording, but there’s moments of less friction in favor of more cerebral textures such as offered on “Staring Straight” and “The Turn”. The subtly shaded tones of the latter can be classified as anticlimactic, yet, both McLean’s lyrical brushstrokes with occasional cymbal legato and Emery’s bass oscillations between groundedness and motion, make it tensile.

Not exceeding expectations but not disappointing either, these six dense narrations rely heavily on atmosphere, championing ambiguity as the quartet probes labyrinthine paths with a positive attitude.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - The Turn ► 03 - Fortean Nights ► 05 - Fortean Days

Andrew Munsey - High Tide

August 19, 2019

Label: Birdwatcher Records, 2019

Personnel - Ochion Jewell: tenor saxophone, kalimba; Steph Richards: trumpet, flugelhorn; Amino Belyamani: piano, Fender Rhodes; Sam Minaie: double bass; Andrew Munsey: drums.

Besides being an adherent of modern drumming and a skilled producer, Andrew Munsey emerges here as an interesting composer. The 10 cuts of his debut album, High Tide, denote both remarkable individuality and strong personality. To undertake this effort, Munsey surrounds himself with assertive peers who didn’t really have to test his mettle since he was in command all the time. Pairing up with bassist Sam Minaie and pianist Amino Belyamani, the drummer establishes a resilient, multi-dimensional substratum that can be compared to a canvas where the two-horn frontline, composed of trumpeter Steph Richards and saxophonist Ochion Jewell, probes fresh jazz idioms by drawing lines that agree and diverge.

The tonal vernacular of the horn section emerges distinctively on “Seedling” after a brief bass solo. Whereas Jewell’s disarming phrases arrive with an articulation and timbre that remind me of Ellery Eskelin's, Richards takes her explorations of sound to a stunning peak. This demonstration occurs on top of the dark-hued rock baseline that kept progressing with scintillating snare-drum rolls at the lower level.

The lucent instrumentation of “Requite” made me contemplate an imaginary crossing between Ralph Alessi and Manu Katché. The bandleader expands his language in a final vamp that swells to a crescendo. His knack for hiding the time through irregular or displaced beats confers an odd gravity to the music and that's particularly evident on the title track, whose erratic bass drum kicks eschew routine while preparing the terrain for the parallel movements and brief polyphony offered by the horn players as well as Belyamani’s solo. The pianist’s work is eminent on the contemporary rendition of “Les Cinq Doigts: Lento”, the sixth movement of Igor Stravinsky’s 1921 piano composition of the same name. It is the sole cover on the album.

This classical erudition is passed to the transitory “Prelude: Tree Fruit”, which goes directly into “Skyline”, a piece where the bowed bass fortifies the theme’s unison melody, and the mercurial lines thrown in by sax and trumpet swarm into the textural net. While listening to it closely, I glimpsed something of Dave Douglas quintet, both in sound aesthetics and structure.

Inventive and free-form shorter pieces are intercalated with the core compositions, and their surprise factor actually works! “Petite Feast” has Rhodes, muted trumpet, and protean saxophone immersed in surging exclamations and walloping interplay; “Driftwood” features Munsey's sophisticated mallet work, contrasting with the ethereal temperament of Jewell’s kalimba and Richards’ breath attacks and moans; “Undertow” incorporates buzzing and droning sounds, but ends up in an extravagant collective groove motivated by clattering, marching snare inflections; and “Schema”, a static, woody, percussive exercise with prepared piano.

Counterbalancing rigor and freedom, Munsey's music articulates and morphs through the fluid synergy created by the musicians involved. This is a valid first appearance as a leader, and its qualities make us look forward to more.

Favorite Tracks:
03 - Seedling ► 05 - Requite ► 10 - Skyline

Yimba Rudo - Yimba Rudo

August 15, 2019

Label: Self released, 2019

Personnel - Kevin Norton: vibraphone, percussion; Steve LaSpina: double bass; Jim Pugliese: drums, percussion.

Yimba Rudo, an avant-jazz trio influenced by African rhythms and world music is composed of vibraphonist Kevin Norton, bassist Steve LaSpina, and drummer Jim Pugliese. These shakeups create a rhythmic tapestry that folds and unfolds according to their own decree. Their debut self-titled album embraces uncharted interactions and show their aptitude for freewheeling improvisation while keeping it within logic structural boundaries. All three members brought compositions to the 13-track Yimba Rudo, which means ‘sing love’ in Zimbabwe’s Shona language.

Norton’s warm vibes scamper through the opener, “Reconcile the Classical View”, and land on top of a bass groove in six and an unentangled snare drum work activated by brushes. The flow then breaks off to grant LaSpina his individual space, with Norton picking up the groove that once belonged to the bassist. Finally, it's Pugliese who cautiously exposes his self-thoughts.

“Toronto” insinuates a busy, free ride through frantic vibraphone deliberations, but that doesn’t really happen. Instead, passages exploring timbre and space interweave with the gorgeously accented lines of the theme, expressed in the elated vein of Bobby Hutcherson. This is where the collective becomes more significant than any personal signature.

Cymbal sizzles introduce “Moonstruck”, a twitchy exercise that, although rambling free, involves that sensation of swing along with unbridled intensity.

LaSpina is pretty active with the arco on pieces where the atmosphere requires a deeper, more reserved sound, cases of “Winter Retreat”, a melodious reflection populated with metallic rattles and vibraphone ostinatos; “The Faustian Bargain”, which is adorned by cymbal variety; and “Treace”, whose initially plaintive cogitations veer into the more enthusiastic interplay.

Pugliese’s nifty number called “Morph” commingles singable melodic ideas and rhythmic focus, whereas the conversational “I Dig Facts, Man”, a Norton original, is buoyed by sharp unisons and synced rhythmic details. The mutations and improvisational flair compel the listener to stay alert throughout.

The trio wraps the session with another Norton composition: “Walking The Dogma”, whose interactive jolt consists in a sturdy bass pedal, luminous ride cymbal guidance, and a lilting, slightly bluesy vibe that enchants.

The musicians are in permanent control of the surfaces they kept playing on, and if rhythm and pulse are central to their attractive fluidity, then melodic development it’s like the cherry on top.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Toronto ► 12 - I Dig Facts, Man ► 13 - Walking The Dogma

Jeff Williams - Bloom

August 13, 2019

Label: Whirlwind Recordings, 2019

Personnel - Carmen Staaf: piano; Michael Formanek: bass; Jeff Williams: drums.

The empathic, racehorse-tempo swing displayed on “Scattershot”, the improvised opening track on Jeff Willaims’ new trio effort Bloom, reveals the unobtrusive cooperation between the drummer, the defiant bassist Michael Formanek, an old acquaintance, and the imaginative pianist Carmen Staaf. Free of restrictions, the latter channels bop-inflected melodies, rhythmic figures, and grooving chords into the consistent pulsating flow that stems from the bass-drums underpinning. Her vivacious expressions caught the ears of the drummer when, early last year, she joined Dan Blake & The Digging for a gig at Smalls in New York.

Williams wrote five of the album’s ten tracks, including “Scrunge/Search Me”, which reemerges as a highlight here despite having been featured in the 2013 album The Listener. The piece thrives with Staaf’s Monk-ish impressions over a lilting 7/8 groove before transitioning to a carefree peregrination, which, for some moments, seems ambivalent in regard to which direction to take. Also retrieved from the aforementioned album and dialoguing with a freer posture, “She Can’t Be a Spy” deserves attention as melodies and rhythms walk a delicate tightrope of paradoxes. This last piece also appeared on the album Another Time, whose title cut is reinterpreted here with average results. With that said, keep in mind that the trio approached this material as if it’s never been played before.

Formanek and Staaf contribute two and three compositions, respectively. The bassist brings his uncompromising lyricism and rubato drive to the mesmeric “Ballad of the Weak” as well as a focused swinging drive to “A Word Edgewise”, while Staaf, effortlessly creative in terms of rhythmic figures, relates to Ahmad Jamal's bluesy diction on pieces such as “Short Tune” and “New York Landing”. On the contrary, her featherweight “Chant” blossoms with Yusef Lateef’s spiritual touch, relying on bowed bass, cymbal radiance, and poised melodic meditation to exude peace and hope.

Also evincing a strong spiritual aura is Buster Williams’ “Air Dancing”, a medium-tempo waltz delineated to provide a revitalizing quietening.

With Bloom, Williams doesn’t match the uplifting narratives of his previous CD, Lifelike. However, and even not impressing me much, the album is brightened by balanced moments and communicative openness.

Favorite Tracks:
04 - Scrunge/Search Me ► 07 - She Can’t Be a Spy ► 08 - Air Dancing

Chase Baird - A Life Between

August 8, 2019

Label: Soundsabound Records, 2019

Personnel - Chase Baird: tenor saxophone; Brad Mehldau: piano; Nir Felder: guitar; Dan Chmielinski: bass; Antonio Sanchez: drums.

Rising saxophonist David ‘Chase’ Baird, a recent member of Antonio Sanchez’s Migration, surrounds himself with jazz heavyweights for his sophomore full-length release, A Life Between. Its tantalizing offerings won’t disappoint those who look for diversity in jazz, and in truth, the eight tunes that compose this album lean on post-bop, but incorporate several influences that range from athletic rock to lovely classical. Thus, expect a combination of rough edges and sophisticated roundness.

“Ripcord” causes some positive disturbance through the Led Zeppelin-inspired hard rock power chords that resonates in the first place. Guitarist Nir Felder was the responsible for that, after which he puts his instrument on hold, returning in full force for the brawny final vamp. In the meantime, we have the bandleader and pianist Brad Mehldau speaking confidently on top of a smooth, polished atmosphere. Exhibiting an authoritative command of the saxophone, Baird puts on show a cavalcade of coherent notes assembled with the force of a tornado, finding an essential harmonic-melodic foil in the emotional pianism of Mehldau. The latter fundaments his thoughts with classy ideas, shaping and adapting his playing to the nature of each piece. He provides the perfect romantic atmosphere and palpable silkiness to Robert Schumann’s hymn “Im Wunderschonen Monat Mai”, whose original classical score Baird simply handed to the band.

Rave-up dynamics suffused with brisk melodies and hair-trigger solos can be found on “Reactor”, a 7/4 patchwork that weaves together post-bop, M-base, indie pop, and funk elements. Besides Baird, who grooves under the roiling funk imposed by the rhythm section, also Felder comes to the forefront. Eschewing any preconception related to style, the guitarist enriches his playing with gorgeous effects and favorable surprises, having the syncopated propulsion of Antonio Sanchez as a stimulating factor.

A different, yet still very valid penchant for groove is perceptible on “Wait and See”, an uptempo blues-based piece marked by a hard-boppish refrain. It starts off with Baird’s Coltrane-fueled instincts delivered with timbral variety and with just drums underpinning his agile moves. A steadfast swinging pulse calls for Felder, whose well-developed language congregates appealing rhythmic ideas and quirky chords. The improvisational partitions are extinguished after Dan Chmielinski’s sprightly bass solo.

The group steps into more introverted territory with “As You Are”, a gentle waltz soaked in sax-guitar unisons, and the title track, a soulful 4/4 narration drenched in vulnerability and fervor. “In The Wake (of Urban Overdrive)” acquires dreamy tones with the echoing reverb-drenched guitar melodies and gives the soloists - Baird and Felder - another opportunity to speak up with impressive eloquence.

This serious, exciting jazz deserves attention.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Ripcord ► 03 - Reactor ► 05 - Wait and See

Jonathon Crompton - Intuit

August 6, 2019

Label: New Lab Records, 2019

Personnel - Jonathon Crompton: alto saxophone; Ingrid Laubrock: tenor saxophone; Patrick Breiner: tenor saxophone, bass clarinet; Patrick Booth: tenor saxophone; Adam Hopkins: bass; Kate Gentile: drums

The sound of the saxophone always hypnotized me. All the possible attacks and timbres can make it powerful and aggressive on one hand and sleek and sweet on the other. Australian-born saxophonist Jonathon Crompton knows all this and explores the particularities of the instrument, coordinating polyphonies and contrapuntal movements within defined frameworks for an attractive chamber storytelling.

The eight tunes that comprise Intuit, the first release on his own label New Lab Records, were subjected to glowing arrangements, providing an absorbing set of music that, according to its author, skims over style connotations. However, his approach naturally reflects some influences: from the colorful post-bop of Joe Lovano to the clever mainstream of Paul Desmond, as well as classical practices, with Philip Glass and John Harle coming to my head in the first instance, all contribute to an up-to-date sound and texture.

All the material was written before Crompton’s arrival in the US in 2013, except for the title track, a collective free improvisation where the bandleader, Ingrid Laubrock, and Patrick Breiner overlap percussive popping sounds, methodic throaty ostinatos, short rapid runs, and cacophonous squeaks and moans, with unfettered abandon. Initially functioning without accompaniment, the three saxes welcome bass and drums to develop an interesting synergy, even with the impetus declining toward the ending.

Radiating a strong classical glow, “Courage” is an ad-libbed troubadour-like song, nicely arranged to provide a smooth and velvety touch at the surface. This piece is not isolated as a reeds-only composition. In the same category, we have “Primacy of Gesture”, “Catherine”, in which the sax voices echo grandiosely in the vastness, and “December”. They all disclose sequences of notes that loom larger as they unfold through well-studied movements and curious passages defined by unisons and polyphonic settlement. After all, this is all about the rhythmic precision and timbral contrast of the horn section.

The introductory soft focus of “Apathy” has to do with the momentary silences and pauses that fragmentizes its course. However, and without completely abandoning the thoughtful, sluggish posture that characterizes it, the group puts on view a wonderful orchestration with the bass clarinet in evidence. There’s an uncompromising search for energy as well as an inclination for the adventure, which fully arrives on both “Dreaming” and “Suite in A”. Colored by a distinct atmosphere, the former veers from hushed classical empathy to confident, bright tempo swing to stimulate extemporaneous rides, while the latter blends the traditional and modern jazz canons as a successful encounter between post-bop and avant-jazz. Amidst the cohesive palette of textures there’s room for individual creativity. Thus, after bringing the intensity down, Adam Hopkins’ pounding bass pedal in complicity with Kate Gentile’s subdued yet luxurious drumming encourages the reedists to blow fanciful, exotic phrases.

Crompton is a prime example of a clever arranger who also knows how to engage the attentive listener by staying away from cliché-ridden schemes.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Intuit ► 03 - Apathy ► 07 - Suite in A

Kendrick Scott Oracle - A Wall Becomes a Bridge

August 5, 2019

Label: Blue Note Records, 2019

Personnel - John Ellis: saxophones, clarinets, flute; Mike Moreno: guitars; Taylor Eigsti: piano; Joe Sanders: bass; Kendrick Scott: drums; Jahi Sundance: turntables.

A Wall Becomes a Bridge is the fourth offering from American drummer/composer Kendrick Scott and his working group Oracle. It's a positive sequel to his previous We Are the Drum (2015), also released on the Blue Note Records. Even haunted by fears and insecurities while in the process of writing music for this new effort, Scott was able to put a commendable record together with the help of his bandmates. The album’s title certainly refers to that complicated phase, but also has political connotations, alluding to the drummer's dissatisfaction regarding the presidency of his country.

The album was produced by bassist Derrick Hodge and features a core of extraordinary musicians, including the fascinating guitarist Mike Moreno, Scott’s longer-lasting collaborator, adaptable saxophonist/clarinetist John Ellis, flexible pianist Taylor Eigsti, and rock-solid bassist Joe Sanders. Scott also hired turntablist DJ Jahi Sundance on shorter interlude-like pieces, typically inclusive of syncopated hip-hop treatments, vocal samples, and atmospheric instrumentation as they explore a new genre hybridization. As a result of this particular selection, I picked the chamber-esque “Windows” as a highlight, one of the two pieces co-written with Hodge.

The bandleader’s hypnotic drumming also embodies hip-hop vibes on “The Catalyst”, where Moreno brings forth a sophisticated guitar sound and language that nod to Metheny and Rosenwinkel alike. His instrument also illuminates the soul-stirring “Voices”, which blends the gentle, measured aesthetics of Tomasz Stanko and Tord Gustavsen, but also brings something of Rosenwinkel’s “Zhivago” in the melody and ambiance. This composition was the promptest response to the drummer’s insecurities and, ironically, Scott is all confidence here, firing up formidable drum fills with magnitude and authenticity.

Whether it is the waltzing flow of the Hodge-penned “Don Blue”, the emotionally-charged environment of the Strayhorn-ish ballad “Becoming”, or the enigmatic sound waves caused by the bass clarinet on Aaron Parks’ 7/4 “Nemesis”, the musicians show they’re comfortable and digging every move. Moreover, even the slower tunes flirt with vibrancy.

Eigsti’s “Mocean” is another example of narrative devotion and strong communication as Scott’s pounding bass drum kicks lead the way. The rich solo section features the pianist’s fleet-fingered articulation and Ellis’ expressive fire on the clarinet. The group wraps up with the charming “Archangel”, lustrously portrayed in 3/4 and embraceable of Moreno’s acoustic sounds.

Inviting the listener to his sonic world, Scott deserves kudos for turning the difficulties into a positive outcome.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Mocean ► 04 - Voices ► 11 - Nemesis

Joel Ross - Kingmaker

August 1, 2019

Label: Blue Note Records, 2019

Personnel - Joel Ross: vibraphone; Immanuel Wilkins: alto saxophone; Jeremy Corren: piano; Benjamin Tiberio: electric bass; Jeremy Dutton: drums + guest Gretchen Parlato: vocals.

Chicago-born, Brooklyn-based Joel Ross is a young prodigy who assumes a special place in the current vibraphone pantheon, having collaborated as a sideman in projects led by James Francies, Marquis Hill, Makaya McCraven, and Walter Smith III. Revealing an impressive musical maturity at the age of 23, he roses to prominence with Kingmaker, his debut album recently released on the prestigious Blue Note imprint.

Ross penned ten of the 12 compositions on the album, drawing inspiration from people, relationships, and events, and dedicating many of them to members of his family. The title track, written for his mother, is one of the strongest as it spins with a contemporary edge both in harmony and rhythm. Before segueing into a final vamp populated by ostinatos, alto saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins boasts his flexible, angular vocabulary with a captivating tone, conjuring up the fervency of Ornette Coleman and the spirituality of Coltrane. Prior to the cited track (the seventh), he had already demonstrated for several times why he is considered one of the most brilliant young voices in jazz today, and the incredibly soulful opening number, “Touched By An Angel”, serves as another showcase for his improvisational prowess. While his unapologetic inside/outside elasticity stuns at every passage, the breathable bass inflations of Benjamin Tiberio cements marvelously with the downtempo flux of drummer Jeremy Dutton, who keeps impressing with tasteful rhythmic developments as the tune approaches the end. On his side, Ross shines in a quasi-celestial vibraphone intro and fascinating solo, and from then on, with an intelligent comping manufactured with prismatic voicings and rich textures.

Fomenting collective empathy in addition to impromptu bravura, “Prince Lynn’s Twin” and “With Whom Do You Learn Trust” are breezy yet firm post-bop encounters where Wilkins and Ross work very close to each other, whether delivering unisons or alternating bars. They embark on the latter action again on “The Grand Struggle Against Fear”, which is also a showcase for pianist Jeremy Corren’s classical-inflected leisure. On “Yana”, a piece marked by curious propulsive nuances, it’s the pianist's turn to take part in the trade-offs alongside the bandleader.

I was left to ask myself if “Is It Love That Inspires You” could be grounded on a samba rhythm. The wooziness created by the hit and recoil of Ross’ lines is enduring, and Dutton almost reaches that boiling swinging point in the instant he starts discoursing with no limitations. The versatile drummer brought one of his pieces to the album. Titled “Grey”, it finds the quintet probing a different ambiance, leaning on innocuous abstraction and dreamy obscurity before opening the horizons. “Fredas Disposition”, written by Ross with lyrics by Bianca Muñiz, features guest vocalist Gretchen Parlato.

Worshipers of fresh and edgy pulsations, Ross and his co-workers use their skills to stitch together a coherent musical narration that expresses a significant dimension within a proper structure. It’s always encouraging when a young talent starts off his career on the right foot.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Touched By An Angel ► 05 - Is It Love That Inspires You ► 07 - Kingmaker

Rich Halley - Terra Incognita

July 30, 2019

Label: Pine Eagle Records, 2019

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

Tenor saxophonist Rich Halley explores new music with a gutsy new quartet on his most recent outing, Terra Incognita. For this experience, he recruits the Matthew Shipp Trio to support him, which, besides the formidable pianist, includes bassist Michael Bisio and drummer Newman Taylor Baker.

From the bravura call-and-response of the opening track (“Opening”) to the rhythmically loose-limbed conclusion (“The Journey”), erratically expressed with obscure piano voicings and bop accents, one can’t help being engulfed by the album's high concentrations of energy.

Attempting to find common parallels , the quartet creates without bounds, embarking on atonal spiritual quests, fast swinging rallies, and circumspect interactions.They take us to both recondite and familiar places.

Both the bluesy, riffy “Forager” and the febrile “Centripetal” are permeated with Coltranean extrapolations and momentary giddy whinnies that become central in the scrabbling interplay and avant-jazz roaming agreed by the quartet. The latter piece runs at full-pelt, presenting a mightily swinging bass/drums alliance and hectic chordal movements that culminate in striking turmoil. The magnetic finale, outstandingly crisp and tight, shows attentive musicians working with a similar disposition.

Investigative and cautious, “The Elms” has Shipp operating with an oneiric intonation. He shares a furtive melodic sequence with Halley, and makes the temperature drop with piercing notes that sound as big and cool as they are sharp and stimulating. By comparison, the title track, a freewheeling ride, shows the pianist building ad-libbing background through the use of micro-phrase flashing and also corresponding to the saxophone irruptions with instinctive reactions.

Terra Incognita consists of brutally honest music and free jazz surfers will find pretty consistent waves to ride.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Opening ► 03 - Centripetal ► 06 - The Journey

Peter Furlan Project - Between The Lines

July 29, 2019

Label: Beany Bops, 2019

Personnel - Peter Furlan: tenor and soprano saxophones; Vinnie Cutro: trumpet, flugelhorn; Roger Rosenberg: baritone saxophone, bass clarinet; Andrew Beals: alto saxophone; Erick Storckman: trombone; Neil Alexander: piano, keyboards; David Budway: piano; Saul Rubin: guitar; Peter Brendler: bass; Nadav Snir Zelniker: drums.

Peter Furlan is an able saxophonist, composer, and arranger whose eclecticism is well patent on this particular project, in which a crew of ten qualified and versatile musicians are at his disposal to play music inspired by the modern literary fiction. Combining energy and perspicuity, Between The Lines dawns with the opulent “A Visit From the Goon Squad”, which exposes a swanky beat, passionate unisons and counter-lines, and a pungent harmonic urge, in a style that is full but never florid. Demonstrating improvisational competences on this first track are guitarist Saul Rubin, trumpeter Vinnie Cutro, whose discourses are marked by a brisk hard-bop agility á-la Kenny Dorham, and keyboardist Neil Alexander.

The program includes a few breezy rides such as “TransAltantic”, whose odd meter doesn’t constitute an obstacle for a poignant soprano incursion with the bass clarinet echoing an ostinato in the back; “Black Hole Blue” (not inspired by any book but a dedication to Furlan’s late father), which saunters with R&B posture over a steady beat; and “White Noise”, whose punchy groove in seven courageously resists the unexceptional melody.

Itchy and playful, “The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay” strides almost like a march, featuring earnest solos from the bandleader on soprano and Erick Storckman on tronbone. Alexander ceases the improvisational timeframe with some kitschy effects that may not go with all personal tastes.

Versatility shows up not only in the form of rhythmic Latin flavors and swing, like on “Underworld”, but also rock groove and elated post-bop on “Foucault’s Pendulum” and “Time’s Arrow”, respectively. The latter piece brings the stoutness of Rosenberg’s baritone to the forefront prior to pianist David Budway draft cool lines with ravishing melody and rhythmic meaning.

The funk-fueled “Watchmen”, a 12-bar blues, is a showcase for drummer Nadav Snir-Zelniker, who fills the gaps left by fragmented unisons, as well as Rosenberg, who sinks down his lines the way it was meant to. Moreover, Furlan pushes his reeds hard on tenor, while Alexander infuses eccentricity.

By jamming exuberant, hard-edged lines into the net of composed and improvised sections, Peter Furlan blends the tradition and the contemporary with structured arrangements. While the individuality gives the project supplemental color, unity is what holds it together. This is a fun album.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - A Visit From the Goon Squad ► 03 - Watchmen ► 10 - Time’s Arrow

Angles 9 - Beyond Us

July 25, 2019

Label: Clean Feed, 2019

Personnel - Martin Kuchen: alto and tenor saxophones; Magnus Broo: trumpet; Eirik Hegdal: baritone sax; Goran Kajfes: cornet; Mats Aleklint: trombone; Mattias Stahl: vibraphone; Alexander Zethson: piano; Johan Berthling: bass; Andreas Werliin: drums.

The intrepid Swedish sax player Martin Kuchen reunites his Angles 9 group, a powerful nonet that already proved its value with the previous three Clean Feed recordings. Perhaps a bit less boisterous in the improvisations but definitely more refined in the orchestration, the new Beyond Us, recorded live at the Zomer Jazz FietsTour in The Netherlands, comprises five fresh and dynamic compositions penned by Martin, with Isak and Leo Kuchen giving their contribution to three of them.

The title track is elevated to an epic through its lavish instrumentation and imposing pulsation. A vibrant circular bass groove, in the pocket with the drums, holds everything on its shoulders, impelling vibraphonist Mattias Stahl to embark on a skittering improvisational journey. He has the horn crew bringing the theme’s sumptuous lines in a timely manner before the distinguished sense of individuality from trumpeter Magnus Broo echoes on top of the unfaltering foundation offered by pianist Alexander Zethson, bassist Johan Berthling, and drummer Andreas Werliin.

“U(n) Happier Marriages” unveils a jazzier piano inception, with Zethson navigating between the cosmic universe of Sun Ra and the angular exquisiteness of Thelonious Monk. However, the mood that shows up later is more reminiscent of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers (“Moanin” easily comes to mind) and some of Mingus’ orchestral fantasies. The improvisational section includes downward-pitched brass moves from trombonist Mats Aleklint and a round bass soliloquy from Berthling before ending with a bluesy collective mourn fabricated with taste and style.

Sounding more like Grachan Moncur III, the trombonist also makes use of his gruff and blustery timbre on “Samar & The Egyptian Winter”, a haunting piece where Kuchen makes a knockout appearance by discharging skirling laments in the first place. Brass sounds comply with the unaggressive foundation, preceding a sax/bass duo passage that leads to the grooving finale.

Cross-cultural fragrances are in the air with the embracement of further sounds from the Middle East and Africa on the CD’s last two pieces, “Against The Permanent Revolution” and “Mali”. The former struts imperiously like an elegant march with the horn players delivering passionate unisons and Eirik Hegdal strolling his baritone sax with fire, whereas the latter is a brassy elated fantasy introduced by Werliin’s adroit rhythm and complemented with solos of crackling intensity, jubilant percussive passages, and patterned interplay.

This unremittingly colorful program, devotedly explored by a nonet of talented groovers, withstands repeated playing and should be played loud to maximize fun.

Favorite Tracks:
03 - Samar & The Egyptian Winter ► 04 - Against The Permanent Revolution ► 05 - Mali

Paul Bedal - In Reverse

July 24, 2019

Label: Bace Records, 2019

Personnel - Nick Mazzarella: saxophone; Paul Bedal: piano; Matt Ulery: bass; Charles Rumback: drums.

For his third album as a leader, pianist Paul Bedal gathered pretty active members from the Chicago scene: alto saxophonist Nick Mazzarella, bassist Matt Ulery, and drummer Charles Rumback. Although the latter two musicians had been part of his first recording project, Chatter (Bace Records, 2014), the brand new In Reverse marks the debut of this quartet, featuring eight properly structured originals peppered with improvisation.

The title cut, “In Reverse”, a catchy post-bop number coated with the modal spirituality of Coltrane, makes a great opening, detaching from the rest of the program as a consequence of its majestic depth and pulsation. The awakening sounds fuel great solos by Mozzarella and Bedal, and both take the opportunity to stretch out a bit more on the final vamp worked out by Ulery and Rumback. The strong teamwork behind the soloists occurs effortlessly, and “Jansen Ave” is another example of coordination and precise accentuation in a sort of unassumed swinging environment. In this case, Mazzarella goes bluesier, throwing in melodies that satisfy the ear, while Bedal, exploring with more atonal drive, navigates inside and outside with logic.

If the curvilinear moves of “Fractal” hide a rhythmically audacious tempo in five, “Neon” embarks on a straight, hard-driving swing. Both tunes feature Ulery, who further extends his improvisatory time on the lukewarm “Threnody”.

“Spunto” is launched with a modern classical-tinged piano intro and a subtle modal eastern flavor that quickly vanishes when a post-bop vamp is erected to accommodate the soloists’ vision. The improvisational agility of Mazzarella comes into view before Bedal utters his speech with freedom, yet maintaining his left-hand work aligned with the notes supplied by the bassist. Prior to the reinstatement of the theme, the music goes through an abstract phase, in a quick visit to avant-jazz domains.

The last track, “Hornets”, breaks up things nicely, and the serene, empathic drumming of Rumback adapts well to the multiple atmospheres and rhythmic demands. Oscillating between loose and taut, the piece calls once again Bedal, Ulery, and Mazzarella to the forefront, but it's the latter who steals the show here with stunning outside deflections.

There’s no sonic boom in this recording, but everything finds harmony in the coherent actions of the quartet. Composition-wise, Bedal shows a gracefulness that may be used in the future to expand textures and moods even more. But for now, you should give In Reverse a chance.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - In Reverse ► 03 - Jansen Ave ► 04 - Spunto