Matana Roberts - Coin Coin Chapter Four: Memphis

January 7, 2020

Label: Constellation Records, 2019

Personnel - Matana Roberts: alto saxophone, clarinet, spoken word, vocals; Hannah Marcus: guitars, fiddle, accordion; Sam Shalabi: electric guitar, oud; Nicolas Caloia: bass; Ryan Sawyer: drumset, vibraphone, jaw harp, bells + guests - Steve Swell: trombone; Ryan White: vibraphone.

The originality of saxophonist/composer Matana Roberts is on display in the fourth chapter of her work-in-progress Coin Coin project, a musical exploration of history, memory and ancestry. Memphis is a fierce manifesto delivered with true vision and spiritual force; a voyage through time into the mystical American roots, where invocations of African spirituals, the blues, gospel hymns, and folk music, are essential elements of contemporary experimentations grounded in the avant-garde and free jazz genres.

After the solo effort that was chapter three, this new installment features a distinguished cast of musicians that project a lot of direct passion and energy into our hearts, including new polyvalent collaborators Hanna Marcus (guitars, fiddle and accordion) and Ryan Sawyer (drums, vibraphone, jaw harp, bells). Explorative guitarist/oud player Sam Shalabi and double bassist Nicolas Caloia, both hailing from Montreal, round out a powerful core quintet that is sporadically augmented with special guests.

The opening number, “Jewels of the Sky: Inscription”, sets the tone with deep, meditative chants and illuminated sax prayers stepping on a tortuous road opened by distorted guitars. A frantic snare drum makes “As Far As Eyes Can See” bubble for a bit while surrounded by guttural horn pleads and exclamations. Ephemeral, this section quickly dissolves into another mantric pulse led by the jaw harp. Matana’s spoken word is so powerful here, metaphorically related to segregation.

“Trail of the Smiling Sphinx” includes snippets of old folk tunes, namely, “Paddy On the Turnpike” and “Cold Frosty Morning”. The pace changes via effortless transitions and the textural aesthetics includes the pungent brassy romps of guest trombonist Steve Swell in addition to a thrumming guitar and riffing sax. That’s before Marcus’ fiddle suggests an animated, quasi-cacophonous dance. By the end, Matana’s words return in the company of those recurring droning sounds.

Initially disjointed by consecutive melodic fragments, “Piddling” finds a secure path to thrive in the synchronous movements that arrive next, while “Wild Fire Bare” burns in intensity with free sax romps, eccentric electric guitar chops, and natural folk melodies forming arcs of timbres that vibrate in mesmeric motion. Nothing dampens its punch.

A state-of-the-art identity is passed to the melodies of popular American songs. Hence, an untangled arrangement of W.C. Handy’s “St. Louis Blues” is offered on “Fit To Be Tied”, yet its premise sounds like a slow mournful fanfare. “Her Mighty Waters Run”, a beautiful reading of “Roll the Old Chariot Along” features an impeccable vocal arrangement carried with the help of singers Thierry Amar, Nadia Moss, and Jessica Moss. In the same way, the relentless “How Bright They Shine” includes an arrangement of Pee Wee King’s “Tennessee Waltz”. Apart from all this, the encouraging punk rock vocal intonations of “Raise Yourself Up” are exalted by folksy motivic lines and pushed forth by Sawyer’s engrossingly marching drum work.

Thoroughly narrated, revolutionary and liberating, this album speaks for itself, showcasing Matana at her highest level of creativity. In short: an essential listening.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - As Far As Eyes Can See ► 06 - Wild Fire Bare ► 11 - Raise Yourself Up

Christy Doran's Sound Fountain - For The Kick Of It

January 6, 2020

Label: Between The Lines, 2019

Personnel - Christy Doran: guitar; Franco Fontanarrosa: electric bass; Lukas Mantel: drums.

70-year-old Irish-born guitarist Christy Doran is known for his longtime association with powered rock music (he founded OM in the 70’s) but also a noteworthy presence in the avant-garde scene, especially due to a favorable trio collaboration with trombonist Ray Anderson and drummer Han Bennink.

The third recording by the eclectic Sound Fountain trio, which features electric bassist Franco Fontanarrosa and drummer Lukas Mantel, opens with a punk rock attitude and reaggae-ish riffery. “Every Dog Has It’s Day” is the first of two unrecorded pieces on the album, navigating moods that range from boisterous, with danceable ostinatos and rhythmic punch, to quiet suspensions, in which jazzier modes are dominated by colorful chord extensions, occasional bass fibrillation, and unimposing crisp drumming. Fontanarrosa stretches out under the three-time rhythmic spell generated by the drummer and endorsed by the guitarist.

The other previously unrecorded composition is “Thanks to Otmar”, which evokes an imaginary crossing between Dire Straits and The Police, being, in truth, a static parade motivated by brushes and cyclic bass figures. Doran infuses his playing with effects and bright harmonics, which are also noticeable on the time-shifting fusion “Andromeda”. In that particular context, they coexist with lubricated bass slides in a first phase, before the trio embraces an uncompromising funk rock, reserving some eastern-inflected rhythmic surprises for the last section.

Just like the previous tune, “Bad News Babe” was taken from the album 144 Strings For a Broken Chord (Between The Lines, 2018), which Doran composed for 20 guitars, four electric basses and drums. This number closes the program by intermingling the flaming bluesy riffs of Jimi Hendrix, always a major inspiration for Doran, with the unpolished funk metal once exposed by Red Hot Chili Peppers in the 80’s.

Fontanarrosa and Mantel contribute one composition each, “Abstraccion Felina” and “The Spanish Moment”, respectively. Both tunes were included in the group’s second album Undercurrent (Intuition, 2017), but if the former mixes the prog-rock of Tool with atmospheric electronic vibes, the latter procures abstraction, falling into moderately dreamy tones.

On the title track, “For The Kick Of It”, these artisans of rhythm return to the dance-like pulses and populate them with hooks and jabs. They concentrate energies in punk rock and jazz funk, having lots of fun playing it.

Favoriter Tracks:
03 - Andromeda ► 07 - For The Kick Of It ► 09 - Bad News Babe

Flash Reviews - The Attic / Evan Parker / Darren Barrett

January 3, 2020

THE ATTIC - SUMMER BUMMER (NoBusiness Records, 2019)

Personnel - Rodrigo Amado: tenor sax; Gonçalo Almeida: double bass; Onno Govaert: drums.

The Attic is a European free jazz trio composed of Portuguese saxist Rodrigo Amado, Portuguese bassist Gonçalo Almeida, and Dutch drummer Onno Govaert, who now sits on the chair that once belonged to Marco Franco. Summer Bummer is the trio’s sophomore effort and includes three extemporaneous pieces that spawn a rash of peculiar swinging streams, which may easily escalate into intricate rhythmic entanglements and spiraling rapid-fire phrases with timbral diversity and corrosive ebullience. Invocations of Coltrane, Ornette, Braxton, and Ayler are disseminated throughout. Cautious introductory assemblages expand into denser textural layering, defining the communication as a three-way dialogue before rambling journeys, often set to urgent pacing, become fleshed out by Amado’s muscular horn. Full of passion and exerting a hypnotic spell on the listener, The Attic proved capable of giving giant steps. [A-]

EVAN PARKER - CREPUSCULE IN NICKELSDORF (Intakt Records, 2019)

Personnel - Evan Parker: soprano sax; Matthew Wright: turntable, live sampling; Adam Linson: double bass, electronics; John Coxon: turntable, electronics; Ashley Wales: electronics.

The obsessive circularity of Evan Parker’s soprano is a mutual characteristic of the seven chapters that compose Crepuscule in Nickelsdorf, a live album whose experimental music inhabits an undefined space immersed in light refraction. For this work, the saxophonist teams up with turntablist Matthew Wright and three other electronic manipulators and members of the latter’s group Trance Map+. The result felt a bit short of what I expected. Despite the challenging concept to create permanent abstraction through digitally manipulated sounds that include buzzing activity (variable in pitch and volume) reminiscent of insects, programmed phenomena, and persistent birdlike chirping overlaps, the experience was a bit tiresome. The patterned code-like tones still create some frisson, but they often downshift into autopilot mode. Nonetheless, everything in this aural microcosms sounded relentlessly and unconditionally here and now. [C+]

DARREN BARRETT - MR. STEINER (dB Studios, 2019)

Personnel - Darren Barrett: EVI, trumpet; Santiago Bosch: keyboards; Chad Selph: organ; Daniel Ashkenazy: bass; Gonn Shani: bass; Mathéo Techer: drums; Roni Kaspi: drums; Jeffrey Lockhart: guitar; Roy Ben Bashat: guitar; François Chanvallon: guitar; Judy Barrett: percussion + guests Kenny Garrett: soprano saxophone; Noah Preminger: tenor saxophone; Kurt Rosenwinkel: guitar.

Totally focused on the EVI (Electronic Valve Instrument), Canadian trumpeter Darren Barrett has his second consecutive misfire with Mr. Steiner, a stylized album that, homaging the creator of the cited polyphonic instrument, Nyle Steiner, never hits high peaks. Blending electronic and jazz elements, the album has the short EVI-centered title track as one of its best moments (it also features trumpet interventions and a compendious guitar solo by guest Kurt Rosenwinkel). Another illustrious guest, Kenny Garrett, contributes a soulful soprano peregrination to upgrade the R&B-infused “dB plus KG”, while tenorist Noah Preminger makes use of his developed language, shaking up the insipid melodic narratives of “Botnik”, a stereotyped fusion effort. On “Only You Know”, it’s Venezuelan keyboardist Santiago Bosch who deserves attention as he keeps displaying mind-boggling machine-like sounds. Although respecting Barrett’s musical prism and knowing what he’s capable of (The Opener was one of my favorite albums from 2017), I could never get a real kick out of this new record, which only sporadically draws interest through individual statements. [C]

Flash Reviews - Jazzmeia Horn / Brian Lynch Big Band / Tom Pierson Orchestra

December 29, 2019

JAZZMEIA HORN - LOVE & LIBERATION (Concord Jazz, 2019)

Personnel - Jazzmeia Horn: vocals; Victor Gould: piano; Ben Williams: bass; Jamison Ross: drums, vocals; Stacy Dillard: tenor saxophone; Josh Evans: trumpet; Sullivan Fortner: piano.

Heavily steeped in straight-ahead jazz, Love & Liberation doesn’t defraud the expectations created with the 2017 debut release A Social Call. Jazzmeia Horn might not sound completely new, but it’s hard to resist to her vocal charms and swinging approach. The opener, “Free Your Mind”, is a blast, but if you think this is an energetic one, then wait for “Searchin”, an uptempo vocal endurance expressed with incredible articulation. Counting on great soloing contributions by trumpeter Josh Evans and saxophonist Stacy Dillard, Jazzmeia conjures up the spirits of Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington (“Out The Window”; “Still Tryin’”), Horace Silver (“When I Say”), and Nina Simone (“No More”), and finishes up with a vocal/bass duet rendition of “I Thought About You”. Brand new standards going your way! [A-]

BRIAN LYNCH BIG BAND - THE OMNI AMERICAN BOOK CLUB (Holistic MusicWorks, 2019)

Personnel - Brian Lynch, Michael Dudley, Jean Caze, Jason Charos, Alec Aldred: trumpet; Tom Kelley, David Leon, Gary Keller, Chris Thompson-Taylor, Mike Brignola: reeds/woodwinds; Dante Luciani, Carter Key, Steven Robinson, John Kricker: trombones; Alex Brown: piano; Lowell Ringel: bass; Boris Kozlov: electric bass; Kyle Swan: drums; Murph Aucamp: percussion; Little Johnny Rivero: percussion + Guests: Dafnis Prieto: drums; Orlando “Maraca” Valle: flute; Donald Harrison: alto sax; Regina Carter: violin; David Liebman: soprano sax; Jim Snidero: alto sax.

American trumpeter/composer/bandleader Brian Lynch, a Grammy award winning artist, has brought a new burning charisma to the Latin jazz genre, raising consciousness through a colorful consolidation of diverse musical cultures. His double-disc big band album, The Omni-American Book Club, was inspired by literature and features noteworthy guests such as drummer Dafnis Prieto, flutist Orlando ‘Maraca’ Valle, violinist Regina Carter, and saxophonists David Liebman, Jim Snidero, and Donald Harrison. The latter completely kills on the smoothly funkified, R&B-flavored “The Struggle Is In Your Name”, where he exchanges heated phrases with the bandleader. Regularly disrupting the swinging rides with Afro-Caribbean passages, Lynch still has time to pay tributes to late saxophonist Blue Mitchell and trumpeter Woody Shaw. One of my favorite pieces is “Africa My Land”, an heroic adventure in six, where the baritone saxophone grooves beyond the lush horn-driven sections. [B+]

TOM PIERSON ORCHESTRA - LAST WORKS (Self Produced, 2019)

Personnel - Blue Lou Marini, Mark Vinci, Shu Enomoto, Neil Johnson, Michael Lutzeier: sax/woodwinds; Dominic Derasse, Mike Ponella, Tim Leopold, Lew Soloff: trumpet; Ben Herrington, Robinson Khoury, Dan Levine, Jeff Nelson: trombone; Tom Pierson: piano; Kanoa Mendenhall: electric bass; Pheeroan AkLaff: drums.

Composer/conductor Tom Pierson, a former protege of Gil Evans, shows all his musical qualities on Last Works, a beautifully arranged double-album, which represents 40 years of jazz composition for large ensemble. Expect majestic crescendos within epic noir ambiences (“Abandoned”), glib incursions on orchestral crossover with samba and funk on the first plan (“Chandra Lower’s Samba”; “Winter’s End”), melancholic reflexions boosted by explosive improvisations (“By The Marty’s Decree”), perplexing environments with inventive avant-garde forays (“Two Becoming 3”), dynamic jazz fantasies with contrapuntal wizardry (“Elipsis”), and fragmented bass grooves turned into continuously running fluxes (“45/8”) as Pheeroan AkLaff’s drumming is showcased. Previously unfamiliar with the work of this master orchestrator, I have to say I got particularly impressed with the emotional intensity revealed on some of the pieces. This is Pierson’s search for beauty. [A-]

Chris Speed Trio - Respect For Your Toughness

December 19, 2019

Label: Intakt Records, 2019

Personnel - Chris Speed: tenor sax; Chris Tordini: bass; Dave King: drums.

Respect For Your Toughness, the third outing for the trio of saxophonist Chris Speed, possesses a distinctive blend of energy and perspicuity, being a winning collection of nine well-written and deftly played originals (all by Speed) plus a low-key rendition of Kay Swift’s standard “Can This Be Love?”. It’s precisely this latter piece, delicately shrouded in Speed’s relaxed tone, that opens up the album. A sense of flimsiness is brought by sequences of notes peacefully aligned with enough air circulating between them to let us have a virtual perception of space. Also sharing this frame of mind, “Faint Tune” languishes in a graceful fragility with the coruscant brushwork of The Bad Plus’ drummer Dave King keeping the torch permanently lit.

The drummer is meticulously creative on “Attention Flaws”, reinventing himself with a magnetic rhythm that goes well with the percussive, stout bass attacks of Chris Tordini. Limned with a soulful touch, the melody of this specific tune is such a beauty to hear.

Instigated by the priceless legacy of Coltrane and Ornette, “Helicopter Lineman” swings as much as it rocks, while “Casa Adela” pivots on folksy melodies and animated rim activity, devising an Afro-Caribbean rhythm that enhances our mental capacity to picture warm landscapes. Here, Tordini delivers a concise bass solo that is veiled by its own robustness.

Garnished with brave, risky grooves and a strong command of dynamics, we have the prayerful title track and the staggering “Strobe Dots”. The former, played at 5/4 tempo, has both the groove and the saxophone invocations casting a hypnotic spell; while the latter is assembled with meter-shifting passages, deliberately rocking in a way that you can dance to it. Even when side slipping, Speed is never aggressive; just quite enough astringent to make his silvery arcs sound gorgeously abstract.

Speed, Tordini and King are formidable together. Their excellent, disciplined teamwork spawned another record with consistent high quality.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Attention Flaws ► 05 - Respect For Your Toughness ► 07 - Strobe Dots

Ellery Eskelin / Christian Weber / Michael Griener - The Pearls

December 18, 2019

Label: Intakt Records, 2019

Personnel - Ellery Eskelin: tenor saxophone; Christian Weber: bass; Michael Griener: drums.

The music on the album The Pearls is occasionally soft and sparse, but the sound emanated by saxophonist Ellery Eskelin, bassist Christian Weber, and drummer Michael Griener can also be magnetically sturdier. It all depends on the context they are playing in, and, in this particular case, if they are creating in the spur of the moment or rendering old-time jazz pieces with a modern flair. In the former case, the music is presented without a specified form or time, while in the latter, there’s a primordial swinging vibrancy and structure associated with the ragtime of Scott Joplin (“Magnetic Rag”), Jelly Roll Morton (“The Pearls”), Count Basie (“Jive at Five”), and Russell Robinson (“Eccentric Rag”), all of them discharging a radiant bliss while having the trio devotedly concentrated on the ‘in the pocket’ factor.

These highly syncopated mainstream manifestations are intercalated with the remaining tunes, which, being spontaneously created, sound more attractive to me due to the unexpectedness in direction, wider latitude, and variation in mood. However, the overall balance and disparate dynamics created by the two stylistic approaches can easily earn adepts from both sides of the spectrum - the free/avant-garde and the early jazz/mainstream.

Highlights in the unrehearsed department include the sublimely crafted “La Fée Verte” and the cutting-edge “Black Drop”, which closes out the album. The former initiates with Weber’s tonally-rich arco techniques (including percussive), which is later joined by Eskelin’s inquisitive and polyphonic phrases, prior to evolve into a bass groove that, shortly afterward, dissolves into freer activity with Griener’s scintillating percussive work assuming a more preponderant role. In turn, the closing piece is born from chimes, successive terse pizzicato bass notes, and functional brushwork, gaining gradual nourishment through a loose-limbed pedal-like groove and Eskelin’s melodic paradoxes. There’s also “Rue Jardiniére”, where the interactive communication between bass and drums is outstanding.

Following the same philosophy and aesthetic of its predecessor, Sensations of Tone, this new record finds the trio exploring common ground with the same commitment and virtuosity that have been defining their musical personalities for years.

Favorite Tracks:
03 - La Fée Verte ► 04 - The Pearls ► 09 - Black Drop

Lorenzo Feliciati / Michele Rabbia - Antikythera

December 17, 2019

Label: RareNoise, 2019

Personnel - Lorenzo Feliciati: electric fretted and fretless bass, keyboards, samples and soundesign, electric guitar; Michele Rabbia: drums, electronics + guests - Cuong Vu: trumpet; Andy Sheppard: sax; Rita Marcotulli: piano; Alessandro Gwis: piano; Roy Powell: Hammond organ, Moog, keyboards.

Italian bassist Lorenzo Feliciati teams up with fellow countryman drummer Michele Rabbia on Antikythera, his seventh release on progressive music label RareNoise. The title refers to an ancient Greek mechanism that was used to predict astronomical positions and eclipses. Hence, the music is firmly grounded in lingering automations, many times shaped as soundscapes, with technology and improvisation as inextricable allies. A few tunes feature renowned guest artists clamping their improvisatory ideas into the substrata sculpted by the pair of sound architects. This procedure was of extreme importance, not only to give melodic focus to the setting, but also for timbral diversification.

Things get off to a start with the cinematic theme “Irregular Orbit”, which, full of atmosphere, blooms with ambient droning, electronic trappings, and sparkling cymbal chatters that gain further preponderance as electric bass patterns gradually develop. This piece brings pianist Alessandro Gwis to the forefront, whose intimate maneuvers also show up on the ear-pleasing “Perigee”, in which a percolating guitar soothes the soul.

Rita Marcotulli is another pianist featured on the album, giving her notable contribution on three tunes, two of which melodically fortified by British saxophonist Andy Sheppard. His bright-toned soprano comes to the fore on the hip-hopish “223 Teeth”, straddling on top of a simple bass pedal in seven yet finding room for cascading piano replications and vocal samples, while his breathy tenor playing can be heard for a short time on the smooth “Parapegma”. The textural silkiness of this somewhat sensual piece denotes indisputable tango influences.

Other pieces like “Prochronistic” and “Sidereal”, both featuring the emphatic trumpeter Cuong Vu as a source of light, promote an accessible experimentalism. Cautiously adventurous and noir, the former remains in a perpetual rhythmic state of pendulousness for nearly four minutes before emphasizing the trumpet within a less dense electronic context; the latter, lightly funkified by the bass and beat-oriented, throws the spotlight on Marcotulli’s piano - in its pure and prepared forms - before segueing into a section filled with synth and electric guitar sounds.

Antikythera feels sketchy and sometimes choppily edited, but still provides immersive soundscapes with the right amount of abstraction to please fans of a warped, moderately dark jazz with an inclination for dub and experimental ambient.

Favorite Tracks:
01- Irregular Orbit ► 04 - Prochronistic ► 05 - Sidereal

Dave Douglas - Engage

December 16, 2019

Label: Greenleaf Music, 2019

Personnel - Dave Douglas: trumpet; Anna Webber: tenor saxophone, flutes; Jeff Parker: guitar; Tomeka Reid: cello; Nick Dunston: bass; Kate Gentile: drums.

On Engage, the long-established trumpeter, composer, and bandleader Dave Douglas boasts tight-knit arrangements of 12 self-penned compositions shaped with the help of his cross-generational musical cohorts: Anna Webber on flutes and tenor sax, Tortoise’s Jeff Parker on guitar, Tomeka Reid on cello, Nick Dunston on bass, and Kate Gentile on drums. This first Engage act - defined as Optimism. Action. Community - envisions to make the necessary changes to preserve the environment, equality, sciences, and humanities. Hence, metabolizing any possible frustration into hope, Douglas developed all pieces from major triads as a reminder to himself to stay positive.

The album opens and closes in a graceful 4/4 pop/rock-ish song format with “Showing Up” and “Heart Science”, respectively. Displaying catchy melody, the former tune has Parker leading off with the first improvisation, followed by a collective effort.

Electrifying noise and guitar distortion mix with the skittish push-pull energy on “Faith Alliance”, a compact rock exercise propelled by choppy and aggressive drumming. The radical transition to the subsequent piece, the gospelized “Free Libraries”, creates a positive effect as the group eases the tension with casual smoothness. This tune is professed in seven.

On five selected tracks, trumpeters Dave Adewumi and Riley Mulherkar join the core group as special guests, playing side by side on two of them, namely, “Where Do We Go From Here”, whose nimble jazz moves comply with the transfixing groove in six, and “Living Earth”, where they embrace the general swinging elation, contributing melodic density to the theme statement. Reid's pertinent cello reactions to the soloists’ ideas are noticeable on this latter piece.

A trumpet duel between Douglas and Adewuni may also be enjoyed on “One Sun, a Million Rays”, which evolves into an avant-garde marching funk after initial bass pedal suspensions, flickering guitar lamination, and high-pitched flute whistling.

Packing a slow-building charge, “In It Together” injects some ambiguity with the bass flute and a mesh of percussion opening the way for cello rambles and a short scenic muted trumpet solo. The mood here has nothing to do with pieces such as “How Are The Children?”, a soaring anthem featuring a jabbing tenor solo, and “Everywhere But Here”, which gracefully unfurls with an additive 8+6 meter signature.

With a newfound sense of aesthetic as part of his compositional focus, Douglas invites all listeners to “engage”. Let’s do it folks!

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Showing Up ► 05 - Where Do We Go From Here ► 08 - Faith Alliance

Abdullah Ibrahim - The Balance

December 12, 2019

Label: Gearbox Records, 2019

Personnel - Abdullah Ibrahim: piano; Lance Bryant: tenor saxophone; Cleave Guyton Jr.: alto saxophone, flute, piccolo; Marshall McDonald: baritone saxophone; Andrae Murchison: trombone; Adam Glasser: harmonica; Noah Jackson: double bass, cello; Alec Dankworth: double bass; Will Terrill: drums.

After a four-year hiatus, the legendary South African pianist Abdullah Ibrahim returns with a wonderful album, continuing a trailblazing work of pure instinct and eclectic refinement started in 1960. For this new work, aptly titled The Balance, the 84 year-old artist balances solo and collective efforts, high energy and melancholia, elation and forlornness, celebration and restraint, as well as spontaneous rides and thoroughly written parts. So, balance is the key, and the music, an incredible blend of township folk and sophisticated jazz, provides that compelling emotional depth that we found in previous masterpieces such as Water From an Ancient Well (1985) and Ekaya (1983).

Ibrahim performs nine of his originals - six with the group Ekaya (none of the musicians from the aforementioned record are present here) and three solo presentations - along with a lilting rendition of Monk’s “Skippy”. The latter piece, featuring all the woodwind players, develops according an arrangement that deserves thunderous applause.

The same happens with the old hit “Nisa”, a bursting-with-flavor orchestral sumptuousness that projects the earthy, singular tones of Marshall McDonald’s bari sax before the rest of the soloists step in. Ibrahim is simply phenomenal in his note choices, creating intervals and motifs that attest the quality of his playing. This is also evident on the solo pieces, with “Tonegawa”, in all its impressive spiritual splendor, attaining an emotional peak through beautiful phrasing, underlying low pedal notes, and incidental dissonant chords.

Moods keep shifting throughout, and if “Dreamtime” had opened up the session with poignant pianism, leisurely beat, and a melodious flute that conveys serenity, “Jabula” emphasizes African folk elements in the form of gleeful melodies and celebratory rhythmic accents. The propelling brushwork offered by drummer Will Terrill plays a crucial role in this process.

This subtle play of light and shade becomes noticeable again, especially when putting side by side “Song For Sathima” and “Tuang Guru”. The latter avant-garde-ish piece is layered with a strong forward thrust via bass and hi-hat kinetic moves. It features the contrasting tones of a shrilling piccolo and a deep baritone, and is complemented with the slithering brassy lines of trombonist Andrae Murchison and the resolute advances of tenorist Lance Bryant.

There’s an unfluctuating state of grace that lingers long after the harmonica-tinged title track brings the album to a conclusion. Ibrahim continues true to himself and the magic of his individual expression is well alive. The Balance is one of his best records in many years.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Dreamtime ► 02 - Nisa ► 04 - Tuang Guru

Michael Formanek Very Practical Trio - Even Better

December 11, 2019

Label: Intakt Records, 2019

Personnel: Michael Formanek: bass; Tim Berne: alto saxophone; Mary Halvorson: guitar.

The excellent bassist/composer Michael Formanek, whose musicality and metrical competence pair skillfully, puts together an exciting new trio with alto saxophonist Tim Berne and guitarist Mary Halvorson. The Very Practical Trio’s first album, Even Better, features 10 tunes devised with aligned symmetries and diffuse obliqueness, causing a vortex of emotional impulses on the listener.

On top of the song lineup, “Suckerpunch” shines with dazzling energy and a sweeping tone quality. It kicks off with bass and guitar agreeing on a phrase that will serve as a groove along the road. Halvorson leaves the groove-making task to Formanek and joins Berne in shaping the curves and angles of the melody. Each musician then departs from this settled practice to interpose their own musical elements, integrating them into an organic, polyrhythmic whole. If the album opens with mightiness, then it closes with the tempered magic of Scott LaFaro’s ballad “Jade Vision”, whose limpid melody, ethereal rhythm, and delicious harmonic progression lift you up to an unclouded sky.

In its pungent interplay, the trio often combines agility, resilience, and serenity. “Like Statues”, for example, fall into solemnity, even with Formanek hastening his pizzicato a little bit. The pace is negotiated when Berne starts improvising on top of Halvorson’s decaying harmonizations, which, moments later, morph into a sui generis avant folk jazz statement. Conversely, “Still Here” embraces a cacophonous state that quickly evolves from controlled to rambunctious. A methodical rocking bass pedal mitigates the tension and the atmosphere is polished. Yet, Berne’s pointy bursts, immune to any pace constraint, reveal as much body as elasticity.

In a similar way, the erudite rubato lament, “Shattered”, exquisitely introduced by scintillating guitar and stimulated by Berne’s Coltrane mannerisms in a later phase, contrasts with the itchy outcomes of “Bomb The Cactus”, whose animated wall of sound is built by Halvorson’s indie rock strumming, and “But Will It Float”, a contrapuntal avant-garde crusade motivated by a courageous guitar ostinato and a structured bass groove.

Another paragon of the trio’s polyvalence is “The Shifter”, whose title is sufficiently elucidative for us to anticipate clever twists in shape and rhythm. In addition to an incessant tension and release, the tune also thrives with auspicious parallel movements and intense improvisatory moments from guitar and sax.

Always knowing where they are and what they want, the Very Practical Trio escapes common places with mastery.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Suckerpunch ► 05 - Shattered ► 10 - Jade Visions

Colin Hinton - Simulacra

December 10, 2019

Label: Panoramic Recordings, 2019

Personnel - Anna Webber: tenor saxophone, flutes; Yuma Uesaka: tenor saxophone, clarinets; Edward Gavitt: electric and acoustic guitars; Shawn Lovato: bass; Colin Hinton: drums, percussion, glockenspiel, gongs.

Brooklyn-based drummer and composer Colin Hinton blossoms as a serious modernist and avant-gardist with this sophomore full length album as a leader, Simulacra, a collection of six unpredictable cuts composed with specific musicians in mind. Although inspired by the talents of Anthony Braxton, Muhal Richard Abrams, Messiaen, and Scriabin, and with the compositional influence of former mentors (Ingrid Laubrock, Tyshawn Sorey, Eric Wubbels) pulsating through the record, Hinton reveals a distinctive, forward-thinking sound of his own, delivering pieces that burst with invention. That could be done thanks to the great quintet he put together: woodwind players Anna Webber and Yuma Uesaka share duties in the frontline, Edward Gavitt brings solid textural development and harmonic spice to the setting, and bassist Shawn Lovato joins the drummer, composing a rhythm section made of both malleable and sturdy properties.

Both “What Was” and the opening track, “Obversify”, clock in at around 18 minutes, providing intricate, never gratuitous sonic voyages that deftly combine written composition and free improvisation. In the case of the latter, a vague atmosphere is launched through sometimes durable, sometimes ephemeral cymbal splashes, sudden tom reverberation, a dancing flute over glockenspiel radiance, guitar fingerpicking and harmonics, and both pizzicato and arco bass paradoxes. A clarinet on the loose hangs around guitar chords that keep shifting at regular intervals. Short time later, it’s the tenor sax that infuses tension, pointing out to more obscure landscapes. After the engrossing clashes between tenors, Gavitt strikes with distorted phrases and noise rock blows, working on top of the fractal mechanics of a prog-rock-like groove. In turn, “What Was” kicks off with a lively pulsation and bold contrasting sounds. Beautifully synchronized movements morph into odd-metered cadences, exposing instrumental aggregations and diffusions, unisons and counterpoint, all within attractive atmospheres that toggle between refined and acerbic. For the ending, a sort of mechanical march is set up with multiple ostinatos in the vicinity.

Influenced by Scriabin’s 20th century classical discoveries and introduced by bass flute and contralto clarinet, “Synesthopy” pushes Gavitt to the foreground. He is a true catalyst for Hinton’s project (also produced the album), contributing exquisite clusters for the moody jazz variances. Following Webber’s swift flute rides and a middle collective passage, he uncorks a solo replete with rhythmic ideas and chromatic virtue.

If the restive Feldman-esque “Breath” feels quite mysterious throughout, opening with a strange panorama of guitar intervals and quirky chords delivered with quarter tone tuning, “Slab Warmth” concludes the record with an active head oozing pointed avant-garde accents. Lovato engages on Hinton’s chattering rhythms, waiting to be joined by Webber’s roughed-toned tenor and Gavitt’s fast-moving chords. Uesaka also participates with measured, deliberate placement of fierce exclamations on tenor, and the two saxophones end up crossing paths, exchanging growls and clamors that feel as sharp as razor blades.

Hinton reaches higher levels with this work, positioning himself as an able and assured composer within the left side of the contemporary jazz scene.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Obversify ► 04 - What Was ► 06 - Slab Warmth

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