Peter Lemer Quintet - Son of Local Colour

December 9, 2019

Label: ESP-Disk, 2019

Personnel - John Surman: baritone and soprano saxophones; Alan Skidmore: tenor saxophone; Peter Lemer: piano; Tony Reeves: bass; Jon Hiseman: drums.

British pianist Peter Lemer reconvenes his old quintet and draws a potent portrait of his music, which thrives with an energy that can easily keep listeners engaged. The idea consisted in restoring the ensemble led by Lemer in 1966 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the album Local Colour, released on the ESP Disk imprint (the year of the release was 1968). Just like in the old times, the pianist has teamed up with bassist Tony Reeves and drummer Jon Hiseman in the rhythm section, while the frontline is shared by experienced reed players like John Surman, who alternates between the baritone and the soprano saxophones, and Alan Skidmore, here replacing the unavailable Nisar Ahmad Khan on tenor. Sadly, Hiseman is not among us anymore given that he passed away four months after this live session has been recorded at London’s Pizza Express.

The diversity won’t make you bored, and the opener, “Ciudad Enahenado”, certifies what I’m saying. A rubato introduction, filled with fleet-fingered piano liveliness, Eberhard Weber-inspired bass slides, and motivic saxophone sketches, precedes a combative rhythmic cadenza that trots off with energy, inviting the horn players to blow spontaneously. After a couple of crescendos that threaten to become heavily swinging, the music shapes into an irreverent yet affectionate final section where elated folk melodies gain extra volume through the deep resonance of the baritone and the tenorist's dark tones.

Also carrying folk influences, “Flowville” features the two singing saxophones in straight cooperation. At some point, during Surman’s solo, the bassist opens a communication channel by answering him in the same idiom, and later on, Hiseman wisely suggests snare drum marching portions before embarking on a beautifully articulated solo with rich tom sounds.

Carla Bley’s “Ictus” is a classic avant-garde delight, here permeated with busy, heated statements. Only with bass and drums as a support, Surman, whose lyrical effervescence on soprano is never less than exciting, catches the final classical-derived phrase of Skidmore’s discourse. Afterward, their phrases merge and entwine before Lemer steps in, adding blues-inspired ideas, fast whirling movements, and sequences of knotty altered chords.

Contrasting with the mix of tranquility and ambiguity of “Carmen”, whose disjointed sense of instrumentation made me think of Sam Rivers, there's a sizzling rendition of John Coltrane’s famous “Impressions”. In turn, “Big Dick”, a post-bop ride that pays tribute to Lemer’s fellow saxophonist Dick Heckstall-Smith, is revelatory of the pianist’s coherent expressiveness along with Surman’s mercurial force and motivic elasticity. If Skidmore plays slightly more restrained on this one, he compensates with his melodic bite and swagger on the concluding “In The Out”, where the epic theme is followed by a joyous 4/4 rhythmic tapestry that swings back and forth in an unorthodox way.

This live session might not sound revolutionary anymore, but its adventurous moments are nonetheless inviting.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Ciudad Enahenado ► 02 - Ictus ► 08 - In The Out

Rez Abbasi - A Throw of Dice

December 5, 2019

Label: Whirlwind Recordings, 2019

Personnel - Rez Abbasi: guitars, electric sitar-guitar; Rawan Benjamin: saxophone, flute, bensuri; Jennifer Vincent: bass, cello; Rohan Khrishnamurthy: mridangam, ghatam, khanjira; Jake Goldbas: drum set.

A Throw of Dice is the new outing by the highly regarded guitarist Rez Abbasi, who, for the very first time in his career, wrote a score to be played live in a film, namely, the Indian-German classic movie of the same name, dated back to 1929. For the effect, the guitarist gathered a cross border quintet, whose members - saxophonist/flutist Rawan Benjamin, bassist/cellist Jennifer Vincent, Carnatic percussionist Rohan Khrishnamurthy, and drummer Jake Goldbas - contribute a great deal to the pleasing hybrid aesthetic, where Indian ragas and rhythms fuse with Western elements, such as jazz and rock.

Abbasi smears the tracks with his empathic virtuosity, and his sitar-guitar intensifies the world fusion contexts of “Love Prevails”, a piece with interesting nuances in the rhythm, and the deceptively balladic “Facing Truth”, which incorporates bass pedals, tenor circularity, and guitar/flute unisons.

His acoustic chordal work is like a symphony to the ears on the exquisitely beautiful “Mystery Rising”, which positions the flute in the spotlight while advancing with propulsive three and four time feels, as well as on the tranquil “Seven Days Until News”, a piece momentarily bewitched by Vincent’s solemn cello.

However, two of the most impressive selections feature electric guitar, forging ahead with the progressive vision of their creator. I’m referring to “Blissful Moments”, whose initially relaxed fingerpicking gets the company of soprano sax and cello before veering into a stream of rock limned with a mix of raga and reggae feels; and “Wedding Preparation”, a marvel in seven whose centrifugal force comes from adroit jazz phrases and a myriad of colorful rhythms and harmonic textures that serve to affirm Abbasi’s improvisational thread. After embarking on coincidental ideas, guitarist and saxophonist end up dialoguing with suppleness. They reiterate this idea on “Jugglers”.

Other pieces deserving mention are “Changing Worlds”, a well-synchronized coloration of timbres with rhythmic momentum and outside tenor ventures, and “Chase for Liberation”, a sort of jazzatronica manipulation with a contemporary vibe.

Denoting tremendous sagacity in the arrangements and juggling a variety of influences, A Throw of Dice provides aural pleasures in each of its narrative episodes. Abbasi’s first cinematic essay comes filled with expressive charisma and musical substance, resulting in an extremely positive experience.

Favorite Tracks:
06 - Blissful Moments ► 12 - Wedding Preparation ► 17 - Changing Worlds

Jerome Jennings - Solidarity

December 4, 2019

Label: Iola Records, 2019

Personnel - Stacy Dillard: tenor and soprano saxophones; Josh Evans: trumpet; Andrae Murchison: trombone; Zaccai Curtis: piano; Christian McBride: bass; Jerome Jennings: drums + Guests - Tia Fuller: alto and soprano saxophones, flute; Camille Thurman: vocals, tenor saxophone; Endea Owens: bass; Carlos Maldano: percussion; A.J. Jennings: percussion.

A bristling energy comes out of Dizzy Gillespie’s “Be-bop”, the tune that opens the second album of drummer/composer Jerome Jennings. The slapping beat is altered when sectional swing forays come to prominence, and we find him trading fours with the soloists: saxophonist Stacy Dillard, trombonist Andrae Murchison, trumpeter Josh Evans, and pianist Zaccai Curtis. The driving force evinced here is spread throughout the album, a musical love letter in support of the struggles of the most vulnerable people in our society.

Establishing a deep connection with his cohorts, Jennings presents seven originals motivated by social justice and equality with a central focus on African American women, and four covers delineated with a gimmick-free approach to jazz.

Unpacking its content with a clear and resolute 4/4 post-bop grace, “Recy’s Lament” was written for Recy Taylor, an African American woman from Alabama who refused to stay silent after being brutally raped by white men in 1944. The bassist heard here is Endea Owens, who, on the closing track, the ballad “You Are Never Far Away From Home”, plays side by side with Christian McBride, who appears on the remaining tracks. The latter develops a magnificent intro on the masterfully orchestrated “The Theory of Difference”, an energetic piece that homages poet, writer, and activist Audre Lorde, whose work focused on topics such as civil rights, feminism, lesbianism, and the exploration of black female identity. The bandleader’s rhythmic jabs become noticeable after Dillard’s squiggly soprano rides and Curtis’ adroit pianism.

With the Latin exuberance of “Marielle (for Marielle Franco)”, the drummer pays tribute to the late Brazilian political activist who fought against sexual exploitation and domestic violence, as well as LBGTQ injustices. A wise shift in rhythm marks the beginning of Tia Fuller’s nice soprano solo. She is also present on the colorful rendition of the 1991 R&B classic “I Love Your Smile”, here earnestly sung by Camille Thurman, who makes sure to bring charm into her performance; and “Pay It No Mind”, composed in dedication of transgender activist Marsha P. Johnson and launched by the methodic marching mechanisms inflicted by the snare drum.

On “Convo With Senator Flowers”, Jennings abides by an inflamed speech professed by Senator Stephanie Flowers against open carry laws in the state of Arkansas, deftly following its course with synchronous drum manifestations and accents, whereas on Woody Shaw’s “Three Muses” he discourses himself with authoritative spells of groove, giving an extra impetus to the blasting excitement that results from the tune’s 3/4 impulsivity.

The expressive musical ideas that inhabit this drummer’s mind diffuse into so many shapes and colors while maintaining a firm voice toward social justice. Jennings smartly grasps elements of the tradition in order to innovate, having in Solidarity a confident, notable step in his career.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Be-Bop ► 05 - I Love Your Smile ► 06 - The Theory of Difference

Kurt Rosenwinkel Bandit 65 - Searching the Continuum

December 3, 2019

Label: Heartcore Records, 2019

Personnel - Kurt Rosenwinkel: guitar, voice, electronics; Tim Motzer: electro-acoustic guitar synth, electronics; Gintas Janusonis: drums, percussion, electronics.

The versatility of renowned guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel is on display in his most recent outing with the experimental post-jazz trio Bandit 65, whose impressionistic musical languages embrace jazz, rock, and ambient. The seven spontaneous tracks on Searching the Continuum were captured live during concerts in Europe (Stocholm, Madrid, Berlin, Vienna) and the US (Philadelphia and Los Angeles) and reveal to have a distilled, deeply personal quality to them. The album is a product of three years of intense live performance and comes full of aerospheric involvement.

Rosenwinkel and his adroit bandmates - fellow guitarist Tim Motzer, an expert in looping and textural soundscapes, and well-versed drummer Gintas Janusonis - follow the principle that the music creates itself, ensuring tight collective integrity in addition to moments of sheer individuality.

Vaporous soundscapes open up the first selection, “Inori”, whose incantatory pace relies on consonant guitars and noble percussion outfits. At some point, the trio embraces a pop/rock circularity that remains alive until the end. Rosenwinkel’s vocalizing accompanies his resolute sense of phrasing on the guitar, a procedure that gains further dimension on the fascinating “At The Gates”, a mesmeric combination of ambient/rock textures and jazz improv that lifts it up to a high peak.

The recording ends in a clear crescendo thanks to “In Time”, whose reverb-drenched chordal work echo in our ears with chill-out resolve before sinking pleasurably in our souls, and “Magical”, which, buoyed by sturdy bass lines and some guitar exoticism, evolves from silently static to a particular atmospheric mood that begs to be played loud.

The group’s taste in experimentalism is palpable on “Sagrada”, where a spacey church organ deflects dissonantly with occasional splatters of tension. Percussive and electronic noises play fundamental roles in the inception, while, later on, bluesy guitar licks morph into chromatic jazz moves toward the end.

On “Bloomer”, talkative percussive rattles and bass drum kicks prepare the territory for a broken beat-inspired flux that stabilizes along the way as it props up languid harmonies and a rock-tinged guitar improv. This number, holding a three time feel, quite differs from the 19-minute voyage “Interstellar Suite”, whose interesting collages within the deft sound design incorporate the earthy and the cosmic. It unfolds like a slow dancing in sustenance of drone intrigue, floating electro-acoustic guitar coils with synth-infused motivation, and circumspect drumming; all under an non-rigid structure.

The surface quality of the overlapping guitars teases out new dimensions, lending a fluctuant light air to the tracks. These are further deepened and expanded in scope according to the musicians’ intuitive playing.

Favorite Tracks:
05 - At the Gates ► 06 - In Time ► 07 - Magical

Billy Mohler - Focus!

December 2, 2019

Label: Make Records, 2019

Personnel - Chris Speed: tenor saxophone, clarinet; Shane Endsley: trumpet; Billy Mohler: bass; Nate Wood: drums.

Billy Mohler’s credits in the music industry are impressive. After graduating from Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he studied electric and acoustic bass, he became a renowned composer, songwriter, and producer, working in different musical spheres such as pop, rock, and R&B. Lately, Mohler has made the decision to return to jazz, his strongest passion, and release an album, Focus!, where he shows compositional abilities and a strong sense of line as part of the rhythmic thrust inherent to the material. His muscular, chordless quartet is stocked with expressive colorists such as tenor saxophonist Chris Speed (Claudia Quintet, Alas No Axis, Endangered Blood, Human Feel), trumpeter Shane Endsley (Kneebody, Steve Coleman) and drummer Nate Wood (Kneebody, Donny McCaslin), with whom he forms a proactive rhythm team.

The album comprises eight self-penned tunes, whose elasticity and rhythmic glee bring the best in these artists, who correspond with flair and audacity.

“Deconstruction” leads off the album with an animated groove and crisp unisons, but it’s not the only forward-moving piece on the record that arrives full of life. “Distant Star”, for example, is grounded in restless bass moves and effervescent drums that fire the imagination of the horn players. By the end, Wood is invited to infuse bright streams of percussion. Bestowing a similar gripping energy, we have “Van’s Jam”, a raw and groovy and shifting piece fueled by stunning dynamics and improvisations, and “Visible Light”, whose expressive elation - slightly Latinized - is worthy of send us out and hit the dancefloor. Sweeping and zigzagging from left to right, Speed and Endsley interact with acumen, speeding through the fast rhythmic lanes provided by the rhythm team. These are tunes crafted with both discipline and adventure.

Even balancing the energy with thoughtful reflection, “Even Tide” and “Coin” are still different in nature. The former kicks in with lone bass, assuring an attractive languid pace through a well-rooted riff that repeats throughout. In turn, the latter, more atmospheric and minimalist, is designed with deep arco playing, subdued yet crucial mallet work for stability, and pondered lines from clarinet and trumpet.

The medium-tempo “Prairie Flower” has round thick bass lines and mallet-colored drumming paving the way for gorgeous horn riffery. If the melody draws on folk, then the overall disposition is not very far from avant-garde epics.

Great part of the pleasure of this disc stems from the way how grooves and melodies dance together. There’s no mystery here, only pure fun. And this recording, besides affirming Mohler as a valid jazz groover, is amply rewarding to behold.

Favorite Tracks:
03 - Prairie Flower ► 05 - Van’s Jam ► 06 - Even Tide

Marquis Hill - Love Tape

November 26, 2019

Label: Black Unlimited Music Group, 2019

Personnel - Marquis Hill: flugelhorn; Mike King: piano, keyboards, Fender Rhodes; Junius Paul: electric bass; Marcus Gilmore: drums + special guests Christie Dashiell: vocals; Josh Johnson: alto saxophone.

Since releasing his debut album in 2011, Chicago trumpeter/composer Marquis Hill undoubtedly established his own thing, fusing elements of jazz, hip-hop, funk, soul, and R&B. The follow-up to Meditation Tape is called Love Tape, his 8th groove-centered studio album, a vehicle to spread a strong message with the assistance of Michael King on piano and keyboards, Junius Paul on bass, and Marcus Gilmore on drums. The idea consisted in culling excerpts from black women’s interviews (Eartha Kitt, Phylicia Rashad and Abbey Lincoln are some of the voices heard) on the theme of self-love and set them against ambient layered sounds with a soul jazzy vibe and looped soundscapes.

Hill strengthens this positive message throughout, but cools down most of the exploratory musical instincts that characterize him by keeping the same vaporous chill-out vibes from start to finish. Regardless the soulful bass inflations and inventive beat that compose its lower layers, this music feels predictable and somewhat quiescent.

Under the spell of a boom tap beat and a trippy ambient, “Roy’s Intro” opens the record with the illuminated words of late trumpeter Roy Hargrove, who states: ‘the whole reason why I play is for God. I’m in service’.

“Won’t You Celebrate With Me?” places a simple riff at the center of a relaxing narrative anchored in a hip-hop rhythm. The melody, frequently dubbed and wrapped in effect, are further exalted by Hill during his solo. The process is repeated on “To You I Promise”, which, flowing in loop, rests on a groovy melodicism drawn from the classic-era R&B. Somehow, the latter seemed a contrafact of Bobby Brown’s hit “Every Little Step”, yet set at a slower speed. Also, the synth-infused “I Believe In Love” places polyphony on top of a smooth, low-key tapestry, whereas “Beautiful Us” adds a generous dash of smooth funk through the bass guitar lines while proving Hill’s ability to show tenderness in his playing.

Guest altoist Josh Johnson displays his evolved rhythmic language on the trippy “A New Life”, exploring improvisation in an immediate, straightforward way. During his workout, he has the company of Hill’s tranquil fills running in the background, as well as the gentle percussive slaps provided by Gilmore. The second guest to appear on the album is singer Christie Dashiell, whose vocal certitude fit perfectly on the neo-soul offering of “Wednesday Love”, which comes peppered with a mesmeric odd beat.

Despite Hill’s tremendous gifts for melody and tender ambiences, Love Tape failed to surprise. In opposition to the powerful spoken word, the very few acrobatic moves on the album weren’t enough to make me want to revisit it. Notwithstanding, it . might work for listeners in need of tension-free moments.

Favorite Tracks:
03 - Won’t You Celebrate With Me? ► 06 - I Believe In Love ► 08 - A New Life

Jason Kao Hwang / Karl Berger - Conjure

November 25, 2019

Label: True Sound Recordings, 2019

Personnel - Jason Kao Hwang: violin, viola; Karl Berger: piano, vibraphone.

Chinese American violinist Jason Kao Hwang teams up with Munich-born pianist Karl Berger for an avant-jazz duo session whose refined tones make it a totally absorbable experience. These cultivated explorers had played together before and none of them are strange to the duo configuration - the pianist had recorded in this format with Dave Holland, Lee Konitz, Ed Blackwell, and Ivo Perelman, while the violinist did the same with Dominic Duval and Ayman Fanous. Conjure was recorded at the pianist’s home studio in Woodstock and features eight improvised pieces that show their constantly openness to the moment.

The opener, “Prophecy”, confirms that their voices make sense together. Berger launches the journey with a low-toned piano pedal, angular musings, and some caustic chordal movements. For its part, Hwang’s melodic narrative is as dramatic as it should be, and we can almost sense the tears suggested by his violin cries. The atmosphere here is enigmatic with an inclination for wistfulness.

“Silhouettes” comes wrapped in a dreamlike aura associated with a reiterated path diligently followed by the vibraphone. Hwang is free to wander, whistling and shrieking on the violin as he seeks to provide not just notable sounds but also emotional meaning in the combination of sounds.

I point out the final cut, “Arise”, as one of the most interesting pieces on the album. It unfolds patiently, developing ominous vibes that oppose rough violin creaks and scratches to occasional sustained pedal tones, sharp tone clusters, and sometimes investigative arpeggiated textures on the piano. While the atmosphere is kept stable here, “Beyond Reach”, featuring Berger on both piano and vibraphone, relies on a more mutable panorama where pace, texture, and groove adjust in unpredictable ways.

Hwang plays the viola on three pieces: “Vanishing Roots”, in which he draws intricate phrases and patterns by plucking the strings of the instrument; “Faith”, whose introspectively dark bowed sounds play a great deal on the controlled yet occasionally febrile vein adopted; and the exotic ritual “Water Finds Water”, which, clocking in at 13 minutes, is the longest tune of the set. The vibraphone work could have been inspired either by African or Asian music.

Berger and Hwang think alike, and Conjure is a reflection of their spontaneous creativity.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Prophecy ► 05 - Faith ► 08 - Arise

Marta Sanchez Quintet - El Rayo de Luz

November 21, 2019

Label: Fresh Sound New Talent, 2019

Personnel - Marta Sánchez: piano; Chris Cheek: tenor saxophone; Roman Filiu: alto saxophone; Rick Rosato: bass; Daniel Dor: drums.

Spanish pianist/composer Marta Sanchez has been an instigator of modern jazz. Her flexibility allows her to indulge in slick lines and gleaming surfaces with the same facility as when she shuttles between charming postbop and savory avant-garde. Sanchez’s fourth album as a leader is called El Rayo de Luz and follows an analogous framework to Danza Impossible, her excellent previous release. Both are inspired by New York City, where the pianist is based in, and feature the same group of ambitious talents with the exception of saxophonist Jerome Sabbagh, who gave his place to the versatile Chris Cheek. The latter offers an array of contrasting voices to his frontline associate, the altoist Roman Filiu, while the rhythm team, harmonically sealed by the bandleader, relies on the bonded underpinnings of bassist Rick Rosato and drummer Daniel Dor.

The first two tracks, “Cascadas” and “Parmesano”, are extremely appealing. The former centers on the cascading contrapuntal work between piano and the bonded saxes, promoting an ephemeral Spanish hunch that feels good. Cheek and Sanchez are generators of virtuosic rhythmic ideas in their respective solos. “Parmesano”, featuring sax cries at the outset, copes with relentless pedals, bright tom and cymbal colors, and some exoticism in the way the bass moves. All this is streamlined into a coherent form. A peak is attained when Cheek unleashes a witty solo, having Filiu increasing the sultry Eastern spell that was captured in the meantime. The two reed players are also very active on the closing piece, “Unchanged”, with the tenorist focusing on a post-bop dissertation full of small wonders, and giving the best sequence to the delicately tart tones applied by the altoist.

These melodically independent musicians also draw on collective tightness to succeed. This is the case of the darkly hued “Dead Flowers”, whose polyrhythmic approach and groove don't eradicate its inherent cinematic quality, and “El Cambio”, whose irrigation channel firstly built on an uncanny piano ostinato, time-keeping drumming, and sparse bass actions with a propensity to funk, also transports the theme’s parallel lines. One could only marvel to hear the remarkably expressive in-and-out improvisation from Filiu.

The compositions reflect Sanchez’s musical personality, and if “I Will Miss You” adds some bolero colorant to the rhythm, then “Nenufar” stands out from the tune selection as an enigmatic musing ballad, featuring the pianist at her best.

Structurally unambiguous, this work sounds unconventional and explorative without muddling. The title cut, a sui generis dance that flows with two simultaneous time signatures attests what I’ve just said in a wordless, elegant-sounding manner. In her quest for excellence, Ms. Sanchez has a lot to give to the scene.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Parmesano ► 04 - El Cambio ► 08 - Unchanged

Miles Okazaki - The Sky Below

November 20, 2019

Label: Pi Recordings, 2019

Personnel - Miles Okazaki: guitars, electronics; Matt Mitchell: piano, Fender Rhodes, Prophet-6; Anthony Tidd: electric bass; Sean Rickman: drums.

The advanced musical skills by contemporary jazz guitarist Miles Okazaki continue to impress on his new quartet effort The Sky Below. His sixth album as a leader is a natural follow-up to Trickster, whose tracks were reduced to their basic components before being transformed into new material that sonically illustrates an oceanic odyssey. The results are superior to those presented on the aforementioned 2017 Pi Recordings release. In what concerns to the personnel, the novelty here is the inventive keyboardist Matt Mitchell, who, replacing Craig Taborn with more advantage than loss, denotes an incredible rapport with the bandleader. The collaborative venture in question is grounded on the attractive rhythmic decors of bassist Anthony Tidd and drummer Sean Rickman.

The lead-off track, “Rise and Shine”, is launched with a beautiful integration of guitar, piano, and bass, before Rickman contributes a superlatively spunky rhythm that is responsible for an anxious shift of mood. A polyrhythmic flux of energy invades the unorthodox danceable setting, and the piece ends with an urgent, effect-laden combination of guitar and keyboards.

A funk bass ostinato sets the groove of the trippy “Dog Star”, a M-base exaltation heightened by ideas that repeat and expand. There’s a bracing energy throughout and moments of tight synchronization. Okazaki and Mitchell share the joy of taking risks and a taste for highly intricate language as they solo with admirable concentration and sense of aesthetic. Their improvisational resources also come to the forefront on “The Lighthouse”, a sophisticated reading of a standard packed with gorgeous parallel lines and relentless vibrancies. It ends surprisingly bluesy.

Brimming with a melancholic groove and dazzling acoustic guitar strums, “The Castaway” is melodically challenge in its avant-pop overture. Yet, it sounds accessible when compared with the art-rock unconventionalities of “Seven Sisters”, whose peculiar dialogue of tone-shifting rhythmic figures shows a preference for convergence rather than disparity.

“Monstropolous” is a rip-roaring rollercoaster of curious expressions proper for a modern dance floor. Its fast pulsation differs from the strange and beautiful musings of “Anthemoessa”, which incorporates distortion as it grows more and more compact, and “To Dream Again”, expertly conceived with microtonal dissonance. Although brought to life with a searching quality, these simmering slow jams show some sadcore tendencies.

Definitely rewarding a deep dive from the listener, this masterwork uses ingenious rhythmic tapestries, mind-boggling grooves, harmonic erudition, and acrobatic stunts in the melody to tell a story with a lot to be absorbed, felt, and pictured. Avoiding comfort zones, Okazaki, who brings five different guitars and multiple effects to the setting, stretches his musical views as a composer and instrumentalist. The Sky Below is for unconditional exploration.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Dog Star ► 06 - The Castaway ► 07 - The Lighthouse

Dopolarians - Garden Party

November 19, 2019

Label: Mahakala Music, 2019

Personnel - Chad Fowler: alto sax, saxello; Kidd Jordan: tenor sax; Kelley Hurt: vocals; Chris Parker: piano; William Parker: double bass; Alvin Fielder: drums.

The multi-generational avant-jazz sextet Dopolarians was born from the predominantly Southern spirit of its members, who decided to record Garden Party in New Orleans. The group’s first effort, comprising six modern tunes that don’t neglect elements of the past, shape into a consistent, well-conceptualized program where free improvisation and disciplined incursions integrate in an extremely gratifying manner.

The veteran tenor sax player Kidd Jordan forms a supercharged frontline with the young alto saxist Chad Fowler, with vocalist Kelley Hurt alternating between focused teamwork with the horn section and spontaneous explorations in specific sections. The harmonic assistance is given by emerging pianist Chris Parker, who finds extra rhythmic support in two colossal pillars, bassist William Parker (no relation with the pianist) and drummer Alvin Fielder. Unfortunately, Dopolarians's future releases will never sound the same without the latter, who has passed away in early 2019. His perceptive drumming is well alive here and the opening piece, “C Melody”, confirms this thought. There is an organic blues-based sax/piano polyphony in movement, configuring an accessible dialogue full of motifs and inspirations that go from Ayler to Ornette. Chris Parker contributes significantly to the rhythmic frame through unrestricted delineations that tend to expand rather than stabilize. This is an impromptu exercise credited to Fielder, Jordan, and the two Parkers.

“Dopolaria” is the first of three tunes composed by Fowler to appear, and comes described as a love song inspired by a fragment of a Puccini melody. The dulcet piano/bass inception, complemented with understated brushwork, gradually fades to give place to sax/voice commotions. Soon after that, you’ll notice a delightful avant melodicism flustered by the eeriness of anxious arco bass and agitated piano whirls hinged on the nimble chord changes.

“Father Dies, Son Dies” and “Guilty Happy” are also Fowler’s creations that explore the interesting timbral qualities of the group’s instrumentation. The former, tense and fascinatingly offbeat, carries a Steve Lacy-like vibe with steeply sloping unisons, cymbal effervescence, and a few harmonic volleys arousing just the right amount of ambiguity. It’s a composition about impermanence and the inevitability of death, where saxello outcries and a reactive piano work in their own way to build rising momentum. In turn, the riff-oriented “Guilty Happy” possesses a mix of free folk and Afro Latin vibes promoting its infectious propulsion and suggesting an exciting crossing between Gato Barbieri and David S. Ware. Expect a wide range of hooks, squeals, explosive dissonances, and occasional gruff executions from the saxophonists.

Hurt’s “Garden Party” exudes poetry in its musical fervency, ending as a complete settlement with Fielder holding everything with brushes in the background, whereas Chris Parker’s snappy “Impromptu” achieves a radiant complexion fabricated with a bendable bebop flair and polyrhythmic feel.

Promoting diversity of sound, Garden Party is a record of dynamic invention and grandiose free aesthetic.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Dopolaria ► 03 - Father Dies, Son Dies ► 05 - Guilty Happy

Lee Konitz Nonet - Old Songs New

November 18, 2019

Label: Sunnyside Records, 2019

Personnel - Lee Konitz: alto saxophone; Ohad Talmor: arranger, conductor, tenor saxophone; Caroline Davis: flutes; Christof Knoche: clarinet; Denis Lee: bass clarinet; Judith Insell: viola; Mariel Roberts: cello; Dimos Goudaroulis: cello; Christopher Tordini: bass; George Schuller: drums.

The unmatchable 90-year-old alto saxophonist Lee Konitz, a living legend whose full and lush sound never ceased to create impact, revisits the nonet format on Old Songs New, his latest release on the Sunnyside imprint. The album’s arrangements have the distinguished signature of a former pupil and frequent collaborator, tenor saxophonist Ohad Talmor, who also conducts and contributes reed lines on “I Cover the Waterfront”, a serene classic that shows Konitz’s respect for the melodic persuasion of Frank Sinatra. The influence of this singer in the saxophonist’s playing is also noticeable during the balladic enchantment of “In The Wee Small Hours of the Morning”.

In addition to a dynamic trio of strings (two cellos and a violin), the session relies on credible musicians such as Caroline Davis, whose flute sinuosities are vital on “Foolin’ Myself”, a piece that grooves high with the vivacity of swing and a melodicism that magnifies the spirit of the old times. The pattern combinations from bass clarinetist Denis Lee, a devoted ally, and clarinetist Christof Knoche are also traceable here.

Accessible and refreshing is Gordon Jenkins’ “Goodbye”, which opens the recording with bemused candor - some chamber horn inclinations, skilled brushed drumming, and confident walking bass. The veteran bandleader wears the unique colors that made his sound and language landmarks in jazz, and the tune’s ending is akin to a soft landing.

Fluid strains of modern bebop travel “Kary’s Trance” with emotion and dexterity. Konitz wrote this piece for his daughter and its first recording occurred in 1956 on the album Inside Hi-Fi. Thus, in opposition to the remaining tunes, this piece was recorded many times before. However, in its newest version, the song is dressed with fresh, colorful garments, maintaining the 4/4 and 3/4 time signatures and containing interesting passages where the brightness of the alto sax is set against the darker toned hues generated by the strings.

Other interpretations of standards such as “This Is Always” and “You Go To My Head” have this appealingly loose grip that differs from the narratives presented in the 50’s. Both pieces magnify the melody on top of a vibrant collective chemistry.

The session ends with another original, “Trio Blues”, whose title says everything (a blues form approached in the classic sax/bass/drums configuration) except that this is an extemporaneous exercise. Bassist Chris Tordini and drummer George Schuller excel in their actions.

Continuing to benefit from an embouchure of his own, Konitz stands as one of the most admired jazz influencers of our times. His facility in developing melody with unexpected stabbing notes has a refreshingly positive effect. As a result, traditional jazz enthusiasts and post-bop loyalists should be on cloud nine.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Goodbye ► 02 - Foolin’ Myself ► 04 - Kary’s Trance

Radical Empathy Trio - Reality and Other Imaginary Places

November 14, 2019

Label: ESP-Disk, 2019

Personnel - Thollem McDonas: keyboards; Nels Cline: electric guitars; Michael Wimberly: drums.

Radical Empathy Trio is a dialoguing collective project co-led by keyboardist Thollem McDonas, guitarist Nels Cline, and drummer Michael Wimberly. Reality and Other Imaginary Places, their sophomore album, marks the return of the trio after a four-year hiatus.

The album was recorded during McDonas’ 2017 residency at Pioneer Works in Brooklyn and consists of two improvised tracks of approximately 20 minutes each. The varied sonic atmospheres are a natural result from the progressive interplay between the artists, who show identical facility in generating tenuous soundscapes for an enchanting spell or in electrifying the listener through tumultuous currents of noise and electronic raids.

“Collective Tunnels” kicks off with the keyboardist and the guitarist blending their sounds with a concordant vision and complementary timbre. At this early stage, Wimberly sustains with softness what his co-workers plot, but his chops expand in intensity with the time. Brief distorted guitar washes, convergences and divergences in the conversational fluency, and opportune electronic manipulations, all contribute to the positive effect. A loop-like guitar ostinato combines with the idiosyncratic overtones of a virtually computerized keyboard, in an experimental texture that anticipates an incursion into noise rock embroidered with futuristic sounds. These imaginary places are depicted with copious technology to draw the listener in.

Wimberly’s actions are never intrusive, not even when he injects more puissance as a reaction to the provocative sounds of his trio mates. He switches to brushes for a softer substratum, but the bluesy vibes of that particular phase don’t last long, since Cline bulges his guitar work with art punk attitude and post-Hendrix uproar. McDonas’ offsetting lines thicken to a bray, and all things funnel into an industrial rock from the future before landing on the protuberances of a synth-driven psychedelic rock à-la Deep Purple.

“Conscious Tunnels” embraces a quieter, if intriguing, narrative in its preliminary solo piano part, evolving with freedom and good sense. It’s a dusty, bumpy trip whose distinctive timbral palette benefits with the inclusion of phrase exchanges in corrosive counterpoint, eerie drones, speculative ostinatos, and graceful aesthetic vocalizations. The climax is reached with sinewy piano initiatives, scattershot rhythms with heavy cymbals, and gusts of distorted guitar. The massive dissonance created disintegrates about three and a half minutes from the end, ultimately reposing in a lofty tranquility that invites us to contemplate.

This open-form alchemy is for the open-eared. They have plenty to chew on here, and good reasons to rejoice with the bold taste of the music.

Favorite Track:
01 - Collective Tunnels

Mat Maneri Quartet - Dust

November 13, 2019

Label: Sunnyside Records, 2019

Personnel - Mat Maneri: viola; Lucian Ban: piano; John Hébert: double bass; Randy Peterson: drums.

Mat Maneri is an avant-garde viola player with a penchant for exploring melodies in the vicinity of atonality, and whose approach spans from tearfully mellow to dauntlessly stark. He can brag about his combined efforts with improvisational champions such as Cecil Taylor, Paul Motian, Ivo Perelman, and Evan Parker, but for this new outing, Dust, he commands a quartet composed of pianist Lucian Ban, bassist John Hébert, and drummer Randy Peterson, his longest collaborator.

Regardless the laid-back nature of this often loose and melancholy opus, you know you’ve entered his realm from the moment you hear the opening track, “Mojave”, a slow, pensive poem of translucent lyricism. The distinctive crepuscular tone of the viola, often bordering on the dissonant yet never completely clashing, contrasts with the melodiousness of the piano, while the unfasten lower level results from a combination of soft, unpredictable drumming and spineless bass forms. Ban penned this one.

Many of Maneri’s pieces share this dramatic rubato touches within just-before-dawn textures. The reflective “51 Sorrows”, for example, is submerged in melancholy, doing justice to its title. Ban’s piano stroll doesn’t go unnoticed as he implants colored cadenced phrases in the uniformly ashen global tapestry. The introverted “Red Seven” exposes Hebert’s slides and wide intervals in its introductory phase. Although pretty active in the brushwork, Peterson still corresponds most of the time with the languid line of thought followed by his co-workers. But you'll find more soothing textures, cheerless nostalgia, and vulnerability scattered throughout pieces such as “Losed” and “Retina”, both favoring mournful cries and long breathable bass notes, and also on the noir-tinged “Last Steps”, an old composition whose intensity is considerably stepped up near the end in order to briefly kick the dominant torpor.

The completely improvised “Motian” pays tribute to the exquisite drummer/composer Paul Motian, and just like his music, is not interested in obvious resolutions but rather in suspensions and volatility. In truth, its mood is not so different from the other tunes on the album.

In addition to the aforementioned opening tune, the highlights are the feathery “Two Hymns”, another Ban's composition, which touches upon modern classical beauty, and the concluding “Dust”, another improvisation whose overlapping layers are shaped as recombinations of several elements presented over the course of the session. There’s a mildly spicy Indian flavor in it, but all results in a sort of lovely, icy stillness.

The marvel of this record is the offbeat ambiance created by each piece. For those who are able to find beauty in both abstraction and desolation sounds, this is a valid choice.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Mojave ► 05 - Two Hymns ► 09 - Dust

Julia Hulsmann Quartet - Not Far From Here

November 12, 2019

Label: ECM Records, 2019

Personnel - Uli Kempendorff: tenor saxophone; Julia Hülsmann: piano; Marc Muellbauer: acoustic bass; Heinrich Köbberling: drums.

German pianist Julia Hülsmann releases her third quartet album on the ECM label with a significant alteration in the ensemble’s lineup. Saxophonist Uli Kempendorff replaces trumpeter Tom Arthurs, leaving a strong impression through consistent thematic developments uttered with pacifying timbres and noir escapes, or getting the shape of fluid phrases that ramp up the flux of emotions. Remaining undivided for 17 years, the rhythm includes bassist Marc Muellbauer and drummer Heinrich Köbberling.

The 13-track album includes five compositions by Hülsmann and two disparate versions of David Bowie’s 1985 hit “This is Not America”. Kempendorff, Muellbauer and Köbberlingand contribute two compositions each to an album that will put the pianist on the map again.

The set opens with "The Art of Failing", a cautious sax/piano duet and one of the examples where the musical empathy between the two musicians in question is underlined. They embark on parallel lines on Muellbauer’s “Le Mistral”, a strong effort smoothly introduced by solo piano before segueing into a dissimulated odd pulse that results from the combination of a bass groove and brushed drums. Hülsmann's radiating comping is pretty effective during Kempendorff’s intense statement.

The spacey rendition of Bowie’s “This is Not America” is still permeated with some tension with bass and saxophone sharing responsibilities in the melodic articulation of the theme. The shorter solo piano version of this same tune closes out the album with more desolation than aspiration.

Other two pieces that achieve a wider emotional spectrum are Kempendorff’s “Einschub”, a soaring anthem brimming with rich rhythmic connectivity, and the bandleader’s “No Game”, where the band delves into post-bop sophistication with both explorative and swinging postures. The rich harmonic progression assists in bringing textural freshness without detaching from tradition, in the sense that the group delivers something new yet familiar. Like the latter tune, “Weit Weg” and “Streiflich” are expansions of originally solo piano pieces. Yet, they differ drastically in the mood. While the former is imbued in an introspective stillness, the latter advances assertively with wide steps and some classical cultivation, benefitting from gorgeous saxophone hooks.

Hülsmann composed the title track, “Not Far From Here”, specifically for this quartet and the melody stands out on top of an elegant rhythm that carries a breezy bossa vibe. In the track’s denouement, Kempendorff focuses on timbre at the same time that explores extended techniques.

These four egoless artists are here for the music and to make it sound cohesive as a whole rather than take individual praise for their actions. It’s great to realize that from one track to another, the group shifts mood without losing any of its musical identity.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Le Mistral ► 07 - No Game ► 08 - Einschub

Mareike Wiening - Metropolis Paradise

November 11, 2019

Label: Greenleaf Music, 2019

Personnel - Rich Perry: tenor saxophone; Alex Goodman: guitar; Dan Tepfer: piano; Johannes Felscher: bass; Mareike Wiening: drums.

Metropolis Paradise marks the debut of New York-based German drummer/composer Mareike Wiening, who gathered a sympathetic quintet that features Rich Perry on tenor saxophone, Dan Tepfer on piano (a last-minute replacement for the regular Glenn Zaleski), Alex Goodman on guitar, and Johannes Felscher on double bass. The eight-track album of originals has the particularity of being the last session recorded at Brooklyn’s legendary Systems Two Recording Studio, a family-owned business since 1975, which closed doors on June 22nd.

The album's opener, “Free Time”, displays sax and guitar delineating the central melody on top of the harmonic velvetiness weaved by the rhythm section. Goodman starts his improvisation by picking up the final idea from Perry's early solo, but some of his expressions are also echoed by Tepfer, a permanent communicator.

Ambiguity characterizes the first minutes of “2 in 1”, where a bass pedal and bubbling drumming with rhythmic accents expand into a polyrhythmic cadence shaped with a bewitching Afro zest. It’s Goodman who claims the spotlight here, exhibiting a bright language inspired on the rock and jazz genres. Perry concludes the section for improvisation, having solely Wiening’s steady-state drums as a support in a first instance.

Influenced by Brad Mehldau and evoking springtime in New York, “For a Good Day” waltzes with sweetness as it is glowed by the bandleader’s scintillating brushwork. It’s a feel-good amalgamation of pop and jazz that benefits from a beautiful melody, tight harmonic background, and interesting statements from bass, piano, and saxophone.

The first three tunes described above might be inviting, but the highlights here are the shapeshifting “Misconception” and the elegant “Metropolis Paradise”, both carrying odd-metered signatures. The former is shaken by countercurrents, a peculiarly hammered rhythm, some controlled dissonance in the combinations of notes, Tepfer’s cool sense of groove and navigation, and Goodman’s narrative facility. The latter piece, a lovely and poetic exercise confessedly motivated by the compositional artistry of Argentine pianist/bandleader Guillermo Klein, features guitar and piano in a candid conversation, with Tepfer constantly trying to replicate and give a natural sequence to Goodman’s phrase conclusions. These two musicians work very closely throughout the album without ever trip on each other.

Also worthy of mention is “Relations”, an unpretentious, lilting post-bop piece that is the closest to tradition you will get, but still with an affinity for the here and now. Perry jumps to the forefront with empathetic bop-inflected lines, while Goodman suffuses his improvised discourse with rhythmic figures and phrase accentuations.

Not too brooding, not too exuberant, and not too bombastic, Metropolis Paradise finds an unblemished equilibrium in exerting good-natured vibes and emotion. Wiening is a name to keep an eye on.

Favorite Tracks:
03 - For A Good Day ► 04 - Misconception ► 07 - Metropolis Paradise

Franco Ambrosetti Quintet - Long Waves

November 7, 2019

Label: Unit Records, 2019

Personnel - Franco Ambrosetti: trumpet; John Scofield: guitar; Uri Caine: piano; Scott Coley: bass; Jack DeJohnette: drums.

Straight-ahead jazz can easily fall into monotony if not properly managed, but in the hands of the experienced Swiss trumpeter and flugelhorn player Franco Ambrosetti, it earns an inspired vibrancy, fully demonstrated on his 28th record as a leader, Long Waves. A dedicated bandleader, Ambrosetti has been active since the mid 60s, playing with musicians of the highest order. For this particular album, he put together a world class quintet featuring old partners: guitarist John Scofield, pianist Uri Caine, and super drummer Jack DeJohnette. Rounding out the group is a new musical acquaintance, bassist Scott Coley.

Ambrosetti crafted a seven-track body of work that comprises four of his own compositions, one by his fellow countryman pianist George Gruntz, and two esteemed jazz standards.

Imbued of seductive, warm tones and seamless modulations, “Milonga” is a tango-inspired piece that opens the album with jazzistic fluency and suavity. Apart from the drummer, who gets permanently focused on the accompaniment, each of the musicians brings their language into solos. While Ambrosetti starts timidly and ends confidently, Scofield steals the show with his expressive bluesy phrasing and octave technique. Caine is rhythmically rich and often provides harmonic obliqueness, while Colley emphasizes his big sound with melody and articulation.

The hard-bop excursion “Try Again” is reflective of Ambrosetti’s biggest influences, namely, Clifford Brown and Miles Davis, and features the same improvisers as the previously described piece, except for Colley, who gives his place to DeJohnette. The latter shines brightly before the unexpected finale and takes the lead again right at the beginning of Gruntz’s “One For The Kids”, where the grandiosity of his drumming and infallible sense of tempo become noteworthy.

Ambrosetti wrote “Silli’s Waltz” and “Silli’s Long Wave” for his wife. The latter, falsely announced as a nostalgic ballad, progresses from a rubato meditation to a medium 4/4 tempo that serves both swinging and modal incursions. The ensemble excels on the tension-release chapter.

The sentimentality of the ballad “Old Folks” and the polished Latin vibes of “On Green Dolphin Street” have distinct weights. Naturally brimming with vitality, the latter interpretation explores far more interesting paths, with Scofield constantly expressing joy in his playing as he works over an interlocking web formed by bass and drums.

If, by any reason, you’ve lost the faith in classic jazz, this modern mainstream spin-off may be a good opportunity to reconnect with it.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Milonga ► 03 - Silli’s Long Wave ► 07 - On Green Dolphin Street

Andrew Schiller Quintet - Sonoran

November 6, 2019

Label: Red Piano Records, 2019

Personnel - Tony Malaby: tenor saxophone; Ethan Helm: alto saxophone; Hery Paz: bass clarinet; Andrew Schiller: bass; Matt Honor: drums.

After landing in Brooklyn, bassist Andrew Schiller, a native of Phoenix, has been displaying a level of maturity not frequently seen in musicians of his age. Asserting his extraordinary talents as a composer, player, and bandleader, Schiller redefines his quintet for the second album, Sonoran, a nine-part suite inspired by the Sonoran Desert landscape, a visual perception from his childhood.

If his 2017 debut record, Tied Together, Not to the Ground, had featured a double-horn section supported by piano, bass, and drums, then, for this new project, he goes piano-less and expands the frontline with an extra reed. Saxophonists Tony Malaby and Ethan Helm, on tenor and alto saxophone, respectively, join him for the first time, as well as drummer Matt Honor. Cuban-born reedist Hery Paz remained in the group, but switched from tenor saxophone to bass clarinet in order to provide further timbral stimuli.

The title track is an enthralling contrapuntal dance that unfolds with a multi-ostinato texture at the base and unisons from alto sax and bowed bass. A persistent bass pedal is later transformed into a thrusting groove, inviting the horn players to blow simultaneous free extemporizations.

Pace and timbre are remarkably controlled in this group, and the vivacious “Gambelii” demonstrates this quality while effortlessly mixing classical, Latin, and post-bop idioms. The free bopish attitude is aggrandized through polyrhythmic nuances in the foundation, and the soloists, Helm and Malaby in the case, may go different ways, but bring sparkle to the music. The tenor man initiates his improvisation in a disarmingly melodic way after Helm’s vertiginous explorations.

“Thorny Flora” nods to Charles Mingus, marching methodically with swagger and swinging with some reedy melodic strains atop. The tune, another showcase for Malaby's inventiveness, also features Paz, who totally grabs the spotlight on “Wet Hair, Dry Hair”, an even-tempered effort crafted under a 5/4 meter signature. Here, he delivers a mesmeric, meaty solo sustained by discernible bass alignments and restless drumming, later enjoying the company of the saxophonists, whose parallel lines provide atmosphere.

An earnest avant-garde vibration shakes the very first minutes of “Shade For Shelter”. However, the piece veers into a rock-infused elation that emphasizes contrapuntal melodic associations (the two saxophones against the pair double bass/bass clarinet). The bandleader shows off tight improvisational skills, after he had explored more spacious environments on the romantically classical “Western Theme #1”, the first of three cinematic chamber vignettes.

As a multi-colorist, Schiller expands his sonic canvas with the current instrumentation, comfortably straddling multiple disciplines and providing you with deeply absorbing sounds to be discovered.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Sonoran ► 05 - Wet Hair, Dry Hair ► 09 - Thorny Flora

Dan Weiss Trio Plus 1 - Utica Box

November 5, 2019

Label: Sunnyside Records, 2019

Personnel - Jacob Sacks: piano; Thomas Morgan: bass; Eivind Opsvick: bass; Dan Weiss: drums.

Dan Weiss is a special drummer who puts his wide rhythmic knowledge and keen ears at the service of his playing. He is equally comfortable leading a piano trio and a knotty large ensemble, as well as powering a metal band composed of jazz musicians. For his most recent work, Utica Box, he adds bassist Eivind Opsvick to his long-standing trio with Jacob Sacks on piano and Thomas Morgan on bass. Together, they form a tight outfit, navigating Weiss’ challenging compositions in a program of seven cuts.

There’s always a melange of styles as part of the drummer’s expansive vision, and the title track, which kicks off the album with a dreamy if slightly tense vibe, mirrors that aspect within an inventive sonic geometry. A haunting, modernistic touch emerges from beat displacement and syncopation, bowed bass murmurs that confer it a chamber-esque classical feel, and cyclic arpeggiated piano uttered with a dream-perfect intonation. The mood is then briefly reshaped by a passage enclosing succinct lines and hushed, sparse activity before the initial state is resumed, this time underlined with a hip-hop rhythm underpinning the buzzing arco bass legato and broken piano chords. The intensity inflates until piano reflections meet conversational mallet drumming and, later on, concordant bass lines. The final segment is stimulated by a medium-intensity rock pulse that keeps hold of piano cascades and droning sounds.

Disarming the listener most of the times, these shape-shifting qualities in Weiss music can also be fully enjoyed on “Bonham”, a piece dedicated to Led Zeppelin’s genius drummer John Bonham, which starts and ends with vibrant solo drum work. There’s a deliberate rock inflection by the end, where the tune follows a more steady line, with the primary chapter including nuanced bass pedals and furtive piano footprints. This is a perfect occasion to observe the beautiful touch and feel in Weiss’ playing as he brings it to the center of things with crisp ride cymbal orientation, hi-hat predominance, precious and subversive drum kicks, and even short snare rolls.

A colorful polyrhythm with Afro-Cuban influence and hints of danceable psychedelia pushes “Please Don’t Leave” into the set of highlights. At once downhearted and euphorically groovy, this exquisite piece features Sacks articulating stunning intervals as he explores the tonal range of the piano.

Referring to the nicknames of Morgan and Opsvick, “Rock and Heat” showcases the two bassists walking expeditiously and side by side in a polyphonic swinging ride. With the drummer and the pianist joining their cause, they embark on a playful on-off cycle.

Compositions such as “Last Time One More Time” and “Orange” navigate more tranquil waters. The former, a sweet lullaby inspired by Weiss’ daughter’s bedtime phrase, promotes transparency of texture with the two bassists in tandem, while the latter entails both unconventional and easy melodies, off-kilter chords, and zigzagging drumming in its narrative. There’s some nice textural roughness in certain occasions here, but for most of the time, the trio muses on moods and timbres, finishing the tune with pathos.

The compositional integrity of each piece is extraordinary, while the overall dynamic balance in the orchestration, instead of feeling clinical, keeps our ears well alert through the musicians’ steadfast and tactful control.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Utica Box ► 05 - Please Don’t Leave ► 07 - Bonham

Avram Fefer Quartet - Testament

November 4, 2019

Label: Clean Feed, 2019

Personnel - Avram Fefer: alto and tenor saxophones; Marc Ribot: guitar; Eric Revis: bass; Chad Taylor: drums.

Avram Fefer has been part of the New York jazz scene for a quarter century, over which he played with illustrious figures such as Archie Shepp, Sunny Murray, and Roy Campbell, among others. His second outing on Clean Feed, Testament, is a very personal statement comprising eight exciting pieces, which apart from one of them, are culled from his self-penned repertoire. Despite five of them have been previously recorded, they appear here with an exceptional new instrumentation thanks to a fresh partnership with guitarist Marc Ribot, with whom Fefer had played before but never recorded. The other two elements of the quartet on display, bassist Eric Revis and drummer Chad Taylor, are also members of Fefer’s stellar trio and their musical excellence and rapport are pretty much in evidence throughout.

Fefer’s African influence can be testified on old and new tunes such as “African Interlude” and “Magic Mountain”, respectively. Both are put in motion with a three time feel, but where the former breathes a warm, dry air from the sub-Saharan region, the latter falls into an electric Afro-funk permeated with playful avant-garde passages. Unison sax-guitar agreements are frequent, and if Ribot often brings staccato strokes into his cool funky comping, Fefer makes use of his excellent articulation to generate soul-transporting narratives intonated with enormous passion and motivic flair. Having lots of fun, Revis and Taylor stand behind the thrilling percussive throb of these chants.

Also sliding at a medium 3/4 tempo, the breezy “Essaouira” evokes the Moroccan port city cited in its title with fascinating lyricism and a steady groove often engraved with Ribot’s ardent bluesy licks. The guitarist brings them again on “Wishful Thinking”, a rock-washed tune propelled in five and populated by Fefer’s staccato expressions, rhythmic figures, and winding phrases molded with chromatic exuberance. The final stretch has Taylor emphasizing rim-clicks and the metallic ringing of the ride cymbal.

Taylor’s “Song For Dyani” initially offers a relaxing Americana atmosphere. However, the tune’s last section attests the drummer’s departure from the mallet vibrancy and cymbal sparkle in order to join forces with Revis on another African-tinged groove.

All differing in nature, but enunciated in a way we can immediately identify their author, “Dean St. Hustle” captures the quartet in moments of swinging bravura and elevated state of interaction, “Parable” takes the shape of an acoustic folk ballad before evolving into anthemic rock, and “Testament”, an old spiritual hymn written for Ornette Coleman, bonds together avant-jazz nerve and rock density while Eastern melodic flavors take its place atop.

As usual, Fefer points for ambition and his receptiveness of other musical sources is sincere and liberating. Testament tells us who he really is as a musician.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - African Interlude ► 04 - Song For Dyani ► 08 - Essaouira

Ingrid Laubrock / Sylvie Courvoisier / Mark Feldman / Tom Rainey - TISM

October 31, 2019

Label: RogueArt, 2019

Personnel - Ingrid Laubrock: tenor saxophone; Mark Feldman: violin; Sylvie Courvoisier: piano; Tom Rainey: drums.

TISM joins two regular consistent duos in a unique and democratic avant-jazz quartet. Drummer Tom Rainey and saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock team up with pianist Sylvie Courvoisier and violinist Mark Feldman for an improvised work whose chapters don’t get too far from their signature styles.

That being said, I got the sensation that these mutable improvised forms lean a bit more on the reflective side, bringing a laid-back feeling that, nevertheless, never lose the perspective of genuinely spontaneous compositions.

The unfussy “Spectral Ghost” and “Maisons Fragiles” are patiently cooked without simmering, remaining in a controlled state of sensitive conscience. The former opens the recording with stilled brushwork (later morphing into a primitive and resonant percussive texture centered on toms), glimpses of folk melodies bounced off of the violin, a mix of cooperative and disengaged saxophone deliberations, and intricate piano textures. In turn, the latter piece, observant in its brittleness, has Courvoisier sweeping the piano strings with delicacy and Laubrock injecting gruff lines to give a boost to the last segment.

The saxophonist is also in evidence on “Tism”, initiating an energetic interlocution with Feldman. Their terse motivic remarks, long-limbed phrases, and contrasting tones are joined by the rhythmic wallops of the pianist and the intense blast-beats of the drummer. This abstract clamor softens halfway, focusing on idyllic landscapes that, in specified periods of time, are pigmented with slightly obscure tones.

Rainey’s off-centered percussion maneuvers give a unique flavor to “Tooth and Nail”, a 15-minute mind-blowing ride filled with engrossing textural fluctuations. Preceding the initial cries and whispers, Rainey enters in a candid conversational mode that stimulates Laubrock’s neurotic eruptions and Courvoisier’s astounding prepared piano. Feldman alters the scenario by adding vivid lines, and interactive dialogues succeed with openness. At some point, closer to the end, our attention turns to shrilling violin glissandos and cultivated piano meditations.

The closer, “A L’Infini”, is my favorite chapter. In addition to Rainey’s exotic percussion, which catapulted my mind to other parts of the world, we have oddly conjugated sounds from piano and violin. The spotlight is directed to Courvoisier, whose eccentrically creative sounds can be incredibly swinging. Laubrock’s outlandish decorations fit beautifully in the context, before she and Feldman embrace a feel-good lethargy. Sensations and passions become stronger in the final phase with Laubrock and Courvoisier on the cutting edge of a formidable cooperative effort. The former is earnestly expressive in her coherent narratives, while the latter accompanies with grandiose dissonant chords.

The members of this quartet collaborate and know one another for a long time, and their huge capacity of reaction to whatever may happen around them is impressive. Thus, avant-gardists and proclaimers of unfettered creativity have in TISM another motive to rejoice.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Tism ► 03 - Tooth and Nail ► 05 - A L’Infini