Tomchess & Zach Swanson - Ghost Narratives

May 18, 2020

Label: Self released, 2020

Personnel - Tomchess: oud, ney, morsing; Zach Swanson: upright bass.

Ghost Narratives is a collaborative work between multi-instrumentalist Tomchess and bassist Zach Swanson. Having played together in different contexts, these two improvisers first met when Tomchess was searching for a bassist to play in Nima Farzeneh's No-Lands Band.

The music on this recording results from their duo sessions at Tomchess’s apartment between 2018 and 2019, and combines traditional Arab music and free improvisation. The gorgeous melding of their instruments can be heard throughout and, while tones can easily change from smooth to barbed, the intensities keep ranging according to their whims.

“If Going Again” opens the record by probing experimental ways that are also very communicative. The sparseness of the bass plucks contrasts to the oud requests before settling into a more specific groove, becoming percussive by the end. The erratic gravity exerted by the oud is also noticeable on “Liberation of the Mirror”, where shades of light and dark coexist. Swanson sets the mood, which doesn't hamper him from exploring new routes in the accompaniment, while Tomchess, in certain passages, nearly evokes the eloquence of flamenco through flurries of notes sequenced with chromatic invention.

However, my favorite pieces are “Tapestry of Evidence”, where the duo drops down into a dark shimmer before leading their instruments into a contrapuntal dance, and the title cut, a flexible conjugation of Eastern classical moods where the musicians alternate roles as the leading voice and accompanist. Amidst pensive reflections and racing progressions, there are well-defined cadences.

The main problem with this album is the extended length of the tunes, with the monochromatic soundscapes lingering in the same state for too long. Nonetheless, each piece reflects the enthusiasm of these musicians for improvisation and free form. The nearly 19-minute “The Innocent River” is more cinematic and no less tense either. Tomchess plays ney, a typical flute from the Middle East, as well as morsing, an instrument commonly associated with Carnatic Indian music. Vocals are also added as a percussive element.

Ney also appears at the center of “Wilderness Harmony”, where Tomchess takes the bulk of the lead by throwing beseeching chants. Yet, Swanson’s woody bass plucks stand out, complemented with feathery harmonics, robust two-note intervals, and keening arco laments.

It’s a long road, but totally rideable for lovers of improvised music and alternative sonorities.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Liberation of the Mirror ► 05 - Tapestry of Evidence ► 07 - Ghost Narratives

Gard Nilssen's Supersonic Orchestra - If You Listen Carefully This Music Is Yours

May 15, 2020

Label: Odin Records, 2020

André Roligheten: saxophones, bass clarinet, percussion; Kjetil Møster: saxophones, percussion; Maciej Obara: alto saxophone, percussion; Per “Texas” Johanson: tenor saxophone, clarinets, percussion; Hanna Paulsberg: tenor saxophone, percussion; Mette Rasmussen: alto saxophone, percussion; Eirik Hegdal: saxophones, clarinet, percussion; Thomas Johanson: trumpet, percussion; Goran Kajfes: trumpet, percussion; Erik Johannesen: trombone, percussion; Petter Eldh: double bass, percussion; Ingebrigt Flaten: double bass, percussion; Ole Morten Vågan: double bass, percussion; Hans Hulbækmo: drums, percussion; Håkon Mjåset Johansen: drums, percussion; Gard Nilssen: drums, percussion.

A record that will definitely conquer the praise of avant-gardists, free jazzers, and modern orchestral surfers is Gard Nilssen’s If You Listen Carefully the Music is Yours. In this sonically lush venture, the ingenious Norwegian drummer leads the 16-piece Supersonic Orchestra with cutting-edge fashion, and the results are incredibly revealing. All six compositions and respective arrangements (distinguished by the presence of three core drummers and three bassists) had the precious contribution of saxophonist Andre Roligheten, Nilssen's co-worker in the Acoustic Unity project.

Dynamism is immediately manifest on the opening piece, “Premium Processing Fee”, in which an impelling rhythmic drive is bolstered by pungent accentuations. The solos - from altoist Maiej Obara and trumpeter Thomas Johansson - take place under a groovier, Sun Ra-esque atmosphere often populated by horn juxtapositions and interjectional fills. This fantastic, resolute, and brilliantly controlled turbulence is appeased on the next track, “Botteknott/Elastic Circle”, a triumphant mashup marked by clear melody and tangible form. While immersed in its symphonic developments, I thought of a progressive western film score suffused with compelling, inflamed discourses and a Latin-inspired groove that precedes the floating lightness of a finale with clarinet and saxophone at the center.

The effortless range of motion and varicolored moods traverse many territories, and “Teppen-Dance” offers a groovy, spiritual, and magnetic modal practice introduced by a more-than-four-minute bass intro suffused with incisive percussive plucks. And Mingus big band recordings came to mind…

With Roligheten in the foreground, “Jack” combines euphoria and imagination to generate a danceable get-up-and-go, while both “The City of Roses” and “Bytta Bort Kua Fykk” emanate beautifully textured timbres by virtue of the drummer’s solo introductory sections. Whereas the former includes horn-driven unisons, a bass solo and a progressive compactness in the orchestration, the latter - a hardcore blast of enthusiastic African percussion - boasts efficient rhythmic transitions, a fine trumpet solo and an unaccompanied trombone expedition propitious to timbral exploration.

The sophistication and freedom provided by Nilssen’s music, make him a key figure in the modern creative sphere of jazz. If you listen carefully… you’ll find it thoroughly worth experiencing.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Premium Processing Fee ► 02 - Botteknott/Elastic Circle ► 04 - Teppen Dance

Brian Landrus - For Now

May 14, 2020

Label: BlueLand Records, 2020

Personnel - Brian Landrus: baritone saxophone, bass clarinet, flutes; Fred Hersch: piano; Drew Gress: double bass; Billy Hart: drums + Mike Rodriguez: trumpet; Sara Caswell: violin;

Low woodwinds virtuoso Brian Landrus explores his romantic side on From Now, his 10th album as a leader, which features him in a stellar core quartet with pianist Fred Hersch, bassist Drew Gress and drummer Billy Hart. The album comprises ten sharp originals from Landrus and three fresh renditions of jazz standards, including two from Monk. On selected numbers, there’s a quartet of strings coping with arrangements provided by Landrus and opera composer Robert Aldridge.

My favorite track of the album happens to be the opener, “The Signs”, a post-bop spectacle with a luxurious sound. Guest trumpeter Mike Rodriguez divides the melodic chores with Landrus, being the first to forge ahead into improvisation. He is immediately followed by the highly emotional drive of Hersch’s melodies. The pianist’s far-sighted comping involves us all deeply and Landrus' sinuous baritone promenade is not excluded from this blessing.

“The Second Time” offers a feel-good experience with strings, gorgeous modulations, and stimulating baritone-trumpet interplay over a vamp, whereas “JJ” is a more evocative piece with a stark finale.

Hart adds occasional rapid hi-hat tickling and in-time ride cymbal pulsation to “The Wait”, a waltzing tune where Grass also has his individual moment to shine. 3/4 is also the time reference on “The Miss”, which flows gently at a moderate pace, and “The Night of Change”, a melodious flute-driven piece.

Polished from major protuberances, both “Clarity in Time” and the title cut are ballads enriched by the strong symphonic presence of violins, viola and cello. And then comes the standards: a solo bass clarinet reading of Monk’s “Round Midnight” is poured out with an extensive range and earthy tone; also penned by Monk, “Ruby My Dear” becomes tremendously velvety during this singular sax-piano version; and “Invitation”, which acquires a swinging propulsion and dramatic saturated colors whenever the melody stands out from the lower registers.

Leaning on straight-ahead jazz but handled with an authentic new feel and inner instinct, Landrus proves that low reeds, besides groovy, can also be melodically intense.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - The Signs ► 05 - For Now ► 07 - Invitation

Walter Smith III / Matthew Stevens - In Common 2

May 12, 2020

Label: Whirlwind Recordings, 2020

Personnel - Walter Smith III: tenor saxophone; Matthew Stevens: guitar; Micah Thomas: piano; Linda May Han Oh: double bass; Nate Smith: drums.

Saxophonist Walter Smith III reappears side by side with guitarist Matthew Stevens in the revived In Common group, two years after the release of its eponymous album. In Common 2 remains a quintet but features a reformed rhythm team with emerging pianist Micah Thomas, bassist Linda May Han Oh and drummer Nate Smith on board. Yet, the concept behind the project remains intact: inelaborate forms, direct and concise melodies, short durations, and a straightforward approach.

The late trumpeter Roy Hargrove penned the opener “Roy Allan”, originally a funky modal song that here takes the shape of a miniature sax-guitar duet. The next track, “Lotto”, was the piece that buoyed me most. Harmonically special and rhythmically captivating, this collective improvisation based on a theme by Stevens has the melody bouncing into view with a laid-back feel. Things evolve into a colorful exploratory practice before ending up in a groovy vamp.

“Cowboy” exudes a beautiful folk charisma and the group delivers it with the help of Ms. Oh’s sly rhythmic drive. Stevens takes the lead during the first section and then it’s Thomas who shines with a highly engaging discourse that expresses his first-rate pianistic qualities.

Both Smith III’s “Clem” and Stevens’ “Provinces” share a taste for pastoral chords and sympathetic melody, and yet they feel modern.. The former, inspired by a character of the video game Walking Dead, is deftly brushed by Nate, whereas the latter, evoking memories of its author's childhood in Canada, nearly falls into a marching cadence as per nimble snare maneuvers.

Written in 5/4, “Van Der Linde” is another video game-inspired piece by Smith III, whose warm individual language can be largely enjoyed on the riff-based “General George Washington”. The exploration goes further with “Opera”, a polyrhythmic effort that creates contrasting tones by setting serene melodies against a brisk electronica-like pulsation, and “Type Rider”, whose dialoguing sax-guitar rendezvous finds extra groove in an expedient club/dance-like piano ostinato.

Smith III and Stevens culled inspiration from their own imagination as well as from the comprehensive musical universe that inspire their work. Hence, In Common 2 is replete with magnificent ideas.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Lotto ► 03 - Cowboy ► 09 - Opera

Lucian Ban / John Surman / Mat Maneri - Transylvanian Folk Songs

May 11, 2020

Label: Sunnyside Records, 2020

Personnel - Lucian Ban: piano; John Surman: baritone and soprano saxophones, bass clarinet; Mat Maneri: viola.

The new explorative trio co-led by Romanian pianist Lucian Ban, American violist Mat Maneri and British multi-reedist John Surman focuses on interpretations of Romanian folk tunes recorded and transcribed by Hungarian pianist/composer Béla Bartók in the early 1900’s. The latter, a pioneer ethnomusicologist, travelled the Romanian countryside for eight years to collect peasant songs, some of which appear here with special arrangements by the trio. Ban and Maneri's musical affinities with Bartok's work compelled them to point out Surman as the third member of the ensemble due to his strong folk background and erudite sound development.

“The Dowry Song” is a wonderful piece that develops with unflinching purpose. With Ban providing a solid base in 5/4 time, Maneri inserts some percussive substance by gently plucking the strings, while the unmistakable, astonishing sound of Surman on baritone gets on top of everything. Before the crescendo that anticipates the finale, saxophone and viola embark on melodic parallels underpinned by a dramatic piano accompaniment that becomes tonally richer whenever Ban hits the lower registers.

“Up There” features Surman on bass clarinet, an instrument from which he draws mesmeric melodies with a magic touch. Maneri contributes to this asymmetric sculptural exploration with an appealingly tenuous asperity, benefitting from Ban’s textural creativity. The pianist improvises on this number over an ostinato equally shared by sax and viola.

The dynamic “Violin Song” exudes the freedom of an avant-folk experiment. There’s muted piano pedals and bold harmonies, fast elliptical soprano trajectories alternating with carefully paced folk melodies, angular viola cries, and heartfelt unisons capable of creating a strong emotional effect on the listener.

From this point on, the trio concentrates more on profound, introvert, sometimes mournful meditations such as “The Return”, “What a Great Night This Is, a Messenger Was Born”, “Carol” and “Bitter Love Song”, an icy yet translucent exercise where a frank dialogue between bass clarinet and viola occurs briefly with an absence of harmony.

The coherently calibrated layering of these three instruments never ceases, and considerably more light can be found on “The Mighty Sun”, a motivic classical tone poem, and on the closing piece, “Transylvanian Dance”, a Garbarek-esque folktale with repeating rhythmic cadences and dexterous chordal work.

Following a structured course of action, Transylvanian Folk Songs manages to be at once freewheeling and languidly pastoral.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - The Dowry Song ► 03 - Violin Song ► 08 - Bitter Love Song

Shabaka and the Ancestors - We Are Sent Here By History

May 7, 2020

Label: Impulse! Records, 2020

Personnel - Shabaka Hutchings: tenor sax, clarinet; Siyabonga Mthembu: vocals; Mthunzi Mvubu: alto sax; Ariel Zamonsky: acoustic bass; Gontse Makhene: percussion; Tumi Mogorosi : drums; Nduduzo Makhathini: Fender Rhodes; Thandi Ntuli: piano; Mandla Mlangeni: trumpet.

On cusp of fame, saxophonist Shabaka Hutchings, who also leads Sons of Kemet and The Comet is Coming, brings us stimulating rhythmic chops and haunting sounds with this new hyper-creative work with the Ancestors. We Are Sent Here By History is the long-awaited follow up to Wisdom of Elders (Brownswood Recordings, 2016). This recording gets even more enticing in its African chants, eloquent whispers, alternative sounds, tribal pulses, and pithy saxophone phrases. Hutchings defined it as a meditation on topics such as our own extinction as a species, forever lost cultures, greedy capitalism and white supremacist hegemony.

The Afro-centric jazz practiced by the ensemble is as much rooted in tradition as it sounds contemporary, alternating phases of light and darkness over the course of 11 hypnotic tracks.

The band infuses high energy on numbers such as “They Who Must Die”, delivered with a confident attitude and liberated through agile drumming, propulsive bass lines, psychedelic Fender Rhodes passages and a saxophone on fire; “Behold, The Deceiver”, a powerful exertion with Coltrane evocations in a forward-thrusting 6/8 time; and “The Coming of the Strange Ones”, a trippy and ecstatic ride where Shabaka’s reed provides the spark. However, it’s the collective’s rhythmic flair that keeps the flame burning.

“You’ve Been Called” has jazzy piano harmonies and well-sculpted sax riffs accompanying the always expressive vocals from Siyabonga Mthemba. An analogous situation is found on the extraordinary “Til’ The Freedom Comes Home”, in which bass, saxophone and effective multi-vocal lines produce a diligent, wonderfully synchronized Rastafari work song. Exerting the color and shading of The Ancestors singular world, these pieces are, by turns, mystic, aggressive, spiritual, and grim.

Still sonically feverish, “Go Heart, Go to Heaven” feels more melodic, bouncing as a celebratory distillation of jazz and African tradition. This tune is based on a South African church song, which happens to be the favorite of Siyabonga’s father.

Brimming with stunning musical freedom and delivered in 3/4 time, “We Will Work (On Redefining Manhood)” addresses toxic masculinity through a poem in Zulu and features a dynamic flute that resembles Pharaoh Sanders. In turn, “Run, The Darkness Will Pass” is a slick, luxurious, danceable nu jazz exercise with horns and vocals in counterpoint and a deep bass pattern flooding the road.

With a singular cross-disciplinary taste in the approach, this group thrives with such a great force, and another proof of this is “Beasts Too Spoke of Suffering”, where Shabaka’s groaning cries fall over a busy rhythmic tapestry. This sonic account is pure fascination and, consequently, a must-have.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - They Who Must Die ► 04 - Behold, The Deceiver 06 - ► 09 - Til The Freedom Comes Home

Ferdinando Romano - Totem

May 6, 2020

Label: Losen Records, 2020

Personnel - Ralph Alessi: trumpet; Tommaso Iacoviell: flugelhorn; Simone Alessandrini: alto and soprano saxophones; Nazareno Caputo: vibraphone, marimba; Manuel Magrini: piano; Ferdinando Romano: double bass; Giovanni Paolo Liguori: drums.

The music of Italian bassist Ferdinando Romano beautifully captures the melodicism and relaxation so characteristic of the Italian jazz scene, but also ventures outside this scope at some point. On Totem, a collection of eight original compositions, Romano’s base quintet is augmented by American trumpeter Ralph Alessi, an esteemed ECM artist and improviser to be reckoned with, and flugelhorn player Tommaso Iacoviello, on six and three selections, respectively.

Helming the ensemble with personality, Romano devises the opener, “The Gecko”, with an uncluttered aesthetic. His bass pedal, a laid-back projection of the rhythm team’s simpatico support, sets a cool pace with Alessi bringing more light into the setting, whether through brisk phrases full of rhythmic intention, whether through the injection of dulcet melody. This number also counts on the soloing capabilities of vibist Nazareno Caputo and pianist Manuel Magrini.

“Evocation” works as a bass prelude to “Wolf Totem”, an odd-metered piece inspired on the novel of the same name by Jiang Rong. You may enjoy the soprano-trumpet unisons as part of the theme, seamless modulations, and absorbing improvisations - Magrini’s refined rhythmic touch is complemented with underlying harmonic fits, while Alessi shows off a sophisticated language with a great sound and extended pitch range.

On the ballad “Curly”, a bass solo emerges right after the main statement, and then Alessi conjures up Miles Davis during his muted trumpet improv. Also utterly relaxing, “Memories Reprise” is an evocative brushed waltz introduced by arco bass and enriched by resplendent melodies shaped by Iacoviello. Yusef Lateef, Enrico Pieranunzi and Kenny Wheeler are some of the names that popped up into my head while listening to this old Romano tune, rewrote and rearranged for this album.

“Sea Crossing”, probably inspired by the immigration problem that Italy keeps facing over the years, is divided into two parts, the first of which denoting a funny cadence with horns and vibes in complete communion with the piano, which ends the piece unaccompanied and in a melancholic way. In between, my attention turned to Paolo Liguori’s conspicuous drumming, especially during the trumpet solo, and Simone Alessandrini’s saxophone stretch, here placed on top of a noisier accompaniment.

“Mirrors”, one of the most absorbing pieces on the album, has the band performing curious mutations within a dedicated interplay. Probing other territories, the ensemble’s procedures flow from relative introspection into layers of shape-shifting energy.

Investing in the collective’s unity, Romano does a pretty competent job.

Favorite Tracks:
03 - Wolf Totem ► 07 - Memories Reprise ► 08 - Mirrors

Fiil Free - Under Overfladen

May 5, 2020

Label: Fiil Free Records, 2020

Personnel - Henrik Pultz Melbye: saxophone, clarinet; Tomasz Dabrowski: trumpet; Henrik Olsson: guitar; Martin Fabricius: vibraphone; Lars Fiil: piano; Casper Nyvang Rask: double bass; Bjørn Heebøll: drums.

The sophomore outing from Copenhagen-based septet Fiil Free, an avant project led by Danish pianist/composer/improviser Lars Fiil, is called Under Overfladen, which translates into ‘beneath the surface’. The whole thing flows with consistency, and the title track, launching the session, remains in a quiet state of suspension with vibes underpinning everything with a one-note pedal before an avant-garde foray is ordered.

The pendulous “12-6” also relies on a bass pedal (not devoid of rhythmic groove) around which many things revolve. Fiil strolls uncompromisingly while the horn section blows with a clever sense of integration, allowing the simplicity of the process to be converted into an efficient outcome.

Following a methodical course in which instrumental layers are gradually added, “Stille Undren” alternates between the rugged and the contemplative, often underlining an off-centered bass that refuses to go with the flow, which I like.

Undoubtedly a highlight, the exciting “Omvendtom” fans the flames of the ensemble’s explosive soundworld, here composed of avant-jazz freedom and rock with a subtle anthemic flair. The fiery saxophone outbursts and dense guitar noise are gratifying, envisioning changes in the dynamics that pique our curiosity for what comes after. It’s a captivating excursion that culminates with tumultuous piano and crotchety saxophone.

Set to conclude the album is “Largo Con Moto”, which making reference to tempo in its title, starts like an organic, serene experimentation that gets closer to an exercise in mood than a standardly structured composition. The combination of inconsolable melodies, air sounds and a rattling continuum with occasional cymbal color is deeply rewarding.

Balancing the lyrical and the inharmonious as well as the thought and the unexpected, Fiil gifts us with a refreshing record that should bring rapturous joy to jazz aficionados with a progressive ear.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Under Overfladen ► 02 - Stille Undren ► 05 - Omvendtom

Sasha Mashin - Happy Synapse

May 4, 2020

Label: Rainy Days Records, 2020

Personnel - Rosario Giuliani: alto saxophone; Dmitry Mospan: tenor saxophone; Josh Evans: trumpet; Benito Gonzalez: piano; Makar Novikov: bass; Sasha Mashin: drums.

Happy Synapse is the sophomore album from St.Petersburg-native drummer Sasha Mashin, leader of a sextet featuring recent accomplices Dmitry Mospan on tenor, Josh Evans on trumpet, and Benito Gonzalez on piano. Rounding out the group are altoist Rosario Giuliani and bassist Makar Novikov, who had participated in the drummer’s debut CD.

The amalgamation of joy and spirituality conveyed by the eight tracks on this album hides the depressive state that Mashin lived while growing up in Russia. The drummer struggled with stigmatization and with his own mental health, but also experienced happy synapses that brought him hope. Hence the title.

The writing credits belong to Evans, Gonzalez, Mospan and Giuliani, who contribute two pieces each. The CD opens and closes with the latter’s compositions, two of the strongest. “The Hidden Voices” has the liveliness of the drum intro announcing a wild ride prepared with Coltrane-McCoy modal instinct and complementary up-tempo swinging sections. Solos by Gonzalez and Giuliani make it a highlight. “The Hidden Face of Stars” finds fluidity and elegance at every move. It’s brought to a simmer during the theme statement, where Gonzalez fills the gaps left by the horns’ sluggish melodies, but completely boils and bubbles with the advanced, straight-ahead improvisatory command of Evans and Giuliani. The former blows with vivid color and wide range, while the latter aligns torrents of notes to form logical phrases. Both reveal eloquence and sophistication in their vocabulary.

Evans’ “Sulieman Saud” opens with gorgeous piano melodies before starting to explore modal sequences that serve to underpin bright unisons. At this point, Herbie Hancock’s “Maiden Voyage” comes to mind, but then it’s Gonzalez who deservedly claims the spotlight. The trumpeter also penned “Sim Card”, a scorching hard-bop infiltration that musically describes how his friendship with Mashin began. He inaugurates the soloing department by dropping notes with astonishing precision and Freddie Hubbard-like intensity.

Also hard-bop-influenced is Mospan’s “Inner News”, whose layout relies on a deep swinging, hard-driving style. It differs from the tenorist’s other tune, “Incantation”, a soul-stirring exercise introduced and propelled by bass. Mashin’s talking drums appear confidently, closing out an improvisational section deeply etched by tenor, trumpet, and piano.

“Night Melody” and “Flowing” are both creations of Gonzalez’s musical sensibility. Rhythmically driven by mallets, the former piece lives in a permanent state of suspension, while the latter is a Latin jazz brew packed with jazz history - lick suggestions go from Coltrane’s “Giant Steps” and “Acknowledgement” to Cedar Walton’s “Bolivia”.

People whose musical taste leans on tradition won’t regret buying this one, while modernists can also enjoy pure moments of jazz expansion.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - The Hidden Voices ► 02 - 05 - Sulieman Saud ► 08 - The Hidden Face of Stars

James Brandon Lewis / Chad Taylor - Live in Willisau

April 29, 2020

Label: Intakt Records, 2020

Personnel - James Brandon Lewis: tenor saxophone; Chad Taylor: drums, mbira.

Following up the highly successful Radiant Imprints album, hailed by JazzTrail as one of the best of 2018, the dynamic duo of saxophonist James Brandon Lewis and drummer Chad Taylor is back with Live in Willisau, an eight-track session captured in 2019 at the 45th Willisau Jazz Festival, Switzerland.

The first two pieces, “Twenty Four” and “Radiance”, were drawn from their debut album. Integrating Coltrane’s “Giant Steps” and “26-2”, the former sparkles with the energy of Lewis’ propagative rhythmic figures and Taylor’s percolating sounds, which includes wildly active snare, rolling thunder toms and cymbal scintillation. At some point, both musicians express their thoughts alone. This piece segues into the next one without interruption. It's a sort of work song introduced by Coltrane’s “Seraphic Light” and containing gospel elements in the melody and beneficial changes of beat along the way. It bears some similarity in tone with Mal Waldron’s relentless “Watakushi No Sekai”, heightened here by a flawless rhythmic sense and undulating fervor.

The contemplative “Come Sunday” by Duke Ellington, stripped down to its bear essentials, along with the duo’s “With Sorrow Lonnie”, feel more spacious and relaxing as they are rhythmically conducted by the chimelike timbres of the African mbira.

Elasticity and robustness are essential factors in the unfiltered approach adopted by these creative minds. Take, for example, “Imprints”, whose sinewy start highlights an empowering tenor that etches sinuous figures and zigzagging lines on the entangling percussive tapestries. It's great to see Lewis chaining elliptical phrases and pinning them down with low-pitched notes for stabilization. Also, Dewey Redman’s “Willisee”, my favorite track on the album, carries musical farsightedness. We find them excavating confrontational, urgent sounds - Coltrane invocations, blues tones, free bop discharges, and an auspicious mix of funk and hip-hop by the end.

Delivered raw, the music of Lewis and Taylor is an impressive communion of technique, pure energy and sound, with both musicians orchestrating ideas not only with vitality but also with a refined taste. Recently, I’ve no idea of a better horn that mingles so beautifully with lyrical, mindful rhythms.

Favorite Tracks:
05 - Imprints ► 06 - Watakushi No Sekai ► 08 - Willisee

Ohad Talmor Newsreel - Long Forms

April 28, 2020

Label: Intakt Records, 2020

Personnel - Ohad Talmor: tenor saxophone; Shane Endsley: trumpet; Miles Okazaki: guitar; Jacob Sacks: piano; Matt Pavolka: acoustic bass; Dan Weiss: drums.

Brooklyn-based saxophonist Ohad Talmor is a leading voice among the most ambitious composers/arrangers working in New York. For this new album - a collection of long form tunes based on single ideas that keep evolving en route - he reconvened the reputable Newsreel group, nine years after its debut. The current formation features the same trustworthy long-time collaborators that joined him in 2011 - Jacob Sacks on piano, Shane Endsley on trumpet, Matt Pavolka on bass and Dan Weiss on drums - plus the forward-thinking guitarist Miles Okazaki, who whets the listeners' appetite with extra sonic spice.

Talmor’s compositional vein translates into a fresh contemporary style that is pretty much evident on the opening tune, “Layas Lines”. This energy-infused piece grew out of the third movement of Layas, a piano-drums concerto written for Jason Moran and Dan Weiss. The layout includes both unisons and constellating polyphony, impressive synchronous movements and an off-center inclination that bewilders and paralyzes such is its cohesion. Talmor unleashes lines with high fluidity, enjoying both lush piano chords in support of his cause and single-note guitar phrasing delivered in parallel. Endsley also takes his game beyond expectation, and then it’s Okazaki who shapes the vamp over which Weiss demonstrates his unlimited creativity.

The invigorating “Kayeda” is based on the Hindustani heritage and finds Talmor’s eclectic ideas booming with a postmodern aesthetic. By combining sturdy chordal practices and melodic agility, Sacks deconstructs in waves, while Endsley operates under the fabulous rhythm designed by Pavolka and Weiss. The bandleader closes out the improv section with uncluttered authority and a commanding presence that perfectly consolidates pitch control, articulation and dynamics.

The waltzing ballad “Casado” is further enriched with the incandescence of Sacks’ intro and denotes influences of both Lee Konitz (Talmor’s mentor), Bill Evans, and classical music. In turn, the three-part “Scent” goes in a distinct direction. Hints of vulnerability are detected in the graceful arches and corridors of the first and third parts, while the second, preceded by the liquidity of a dreamy piano interlude, takes the form of a propulsive rock machine.

The mighty presence of Weiss behind the drum kit is not only difficult to understate on the latter track but also on the closer, “Musique Anodine”, where he infuses ingenious syncopation, especially during Okazaki’s crescent solo. Simultaneously glamorous and delicate in texture, this particular number features improvisations from all members of the group while advancing gradually and methodically toward a crescendo.

The musicians' powerful chemistry spreads out, translating into a superb sound and facility of communication.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Layas Lines ► 03 - Kayeda ► 06 - Musique Anodine

Gilfema - Three

April 27, 2020

Label: Sounderscore Records, 2020

Personnel - Lionel Loueke: guitar; Massimo Biolcati: bass; Ferenc Nemeth: drums.

The cooperative trio Gilfema features the same musicians of Lionel Loueke Trio, with the particularity that the recorded material is penned by all the three members. This world jazz collective, which besides the acclaimed Benin-born guitarist also includes Swedish-Italian bassist Massimo Biolcati and Hungarian drummer Ferenc Nemeth, hadn't released an album since 2008, returning now with 13 cuts filled with rhythmic panache and eclectic crosscurrents.

Fronting the operations, Loueke is an inimitable force of nature, whose musicality benefits from the sometimes cool, sometimes animated lyricism of his partners. Highly rhythmic titles such as “Lé”, “Brio” and “Aflao” are very much representative of the West African music tradition, here fused with contemporary jazz elements. The opener, “Têkê”, also falls into this category, but it’s a quite special one, boasting peculiar nylon-stringed guitar sounds wrapped in marvelous effects, in conjunction with strong hi-hat manifestations and snappy bass moves.

All the aforementioned compositions have the signature of Loueke, with the exception of “Brio”, which he co-penned with Biolcati. The pair collaborated in three other, but the highlight is the odd-metered “13th Floor to Heaven”, a.more jazzified, deliberately paced oddity devised with a relaxing mood, intervallic patterns of great quality and noteworthy vocals forming dulcet unisons with the guitar.

Equally navigating through undisturbed waters, Loueke’s “Dear JL” and Nemeth’s “Requiem For a Soul” are synonyms of a hybrid jazz sophistication. The former, aligned in 5/4 time, has tight brushwork and malleable bass maneuvers underpinning Loueke’s inspired guitar work, whereas the latter, pulsating in seven, showcases the group’s infallible communication. Nemeth also composed “Happiness”, a Fela Kuti-like exercise whose blend of wah-wah funk and afrobeat supports synth-laden melodies and improvisatory segments alike.

Loueke’s fantastic expressionism has the ability to hypnotize, and his peerless vision catches the ear again on a superlative acoustic rendition of Jimi Hendrix’s ballad “Little Wing”, a piece to listen over and over again.

Embracing interesting and viable musical forms, Gilfema is the artistic expression of world jazz sculptors gifted with varied talents and enjoying full maturity.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Têkê ► 02 - Little Wing ► 12 - Requiem For a Soul

Charles Pillow Ensemble - Chamber Jazz

April 23, 2020

Label: Summit Records, 2020

Personnel - Charles Pillow: flute, alto flute, clarinet, alto sax; soprano sax, oboe, english horn; Scott Wendholt: trumpet; Alan Ferber: trombone; Chris Komer: french horn; Marcus Rojas: tuba; Todd Groves: bass clarinet, clarinet, flute; Vic Juris: guitar; Gary Versace: piano, accordion; Jeff Campbell: bass; Jay Anderson: bass; Mark Ferber: drums; Rich Thompson: drums; Rogerio Boccato: percussion + string ensemble - Hiroko Taguchi: violin; Whitney Lagrange: violin Lisa Matricardi: violin; Todd Low: viola; Orlando Wells: viola; Alisa Horn: cello; Allison Seidner: cello.

Even if Charles Pillow’s name doesn’t immediately ring a bell, you have probably heard him playing with central jazz figures as Maria Schneider, Dave Liebman, John Scofield, and more recently Brad Mehldau. Outside the jazz scope, the list of collaborations is equally vast and includes Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen, Chaka Khan, and Jay-Z, among others.

Following Electric Miles (Summit, 2018), a tribute to the early electric phase of giant trumpeter Miles Davis, the woodwinds player gathers his dedicated large ensemble, concentrating on the orchestral chamber jazz genre. Here, he delivers a repertory with an equal share of originals and covers.

As expected, the classical intonations, enhanced by the presence of strings, are a bit all over the place. The opening piece, “While Pass Manchac” paints scenic landscapes with warm colors, mixing suave classical sonorities with the persuasion of jazz. The improvisers are trumpeter Scott Wendholt and Pillow on alto saxophone.

Classical impressions are even stronger on “Charlotte and Evan”. This composition, dedicated to Pillow’s children, brims with cellos and violins in harmonious communion. Resourceful pianist Gary Versace stands out on this one, and he shows his multifaceted skills by switching to accordion on Hermeto Pascoal’s “Bebe”. He embarks on a decorous conversation with Pillow, who blows the clarinet with lucidity, with the complementary percussion of Rogerio Boccatto and Rich Thompson fully manifesting underneath.

Pillow puts a lot of heart in the arrangements and Monk’s less-familiar composition “Oska T” is explored with bold counterpoint, reaching high peaks during the improvisations from tuba player Marcus Rojas and trombonist Alan Ferber.

Another magic moment occurs when the late guitarist Vic Juris brings his beautiful sound to Billie Holiday/Arthur Herzog Jr.’s plaintive song “Don’t Explain”. A docile flute accompanies him here, as well as on “Pee Wee”, a placatory medium-tempo waltz penned by drummer extraordinaire Tony Williams and immortalized by the Miles Davis quintet.

Equipoising the venerable and the thrilling, “Atchafalaya Fiction” sonically depicts the Atchafalaya basin, the largest wetland and swamp in the US, which is located in Louisiana. Driving us through subtle shadings, the ensemble puts the spotlight on Ferber and he doesn’t pass up the chance to shine with wonderful melodies expressed across several registers.

The competence of Pillow’s big band is indisputable.

Favorite Tracks:
03 - Don’t Explain ► 06 - Oska T ► 08 - Atchafalaya Fiction

Simon Nabatov - Plain

April 22, 2020

Label: Clean Feed, 2020

Personnel - Simon Nabatov: piano; Chris Speed: tenor saxophone, clarinet; Herb Robertson: trumpet, vocals; John Hébert: double bass; Tom Rainey: drums.

Signaling the third appearance of Russian-born pianist Simon Nabatov on Clean Feed, Plain is his second consecutive quintet effort and the follow up to Last Minute Theory (2019). However, none of the musicians that joined him on the latter has performed in this new work. The bandleader put together another A-list group with bassist John Hébert and drummer Tom Rainey constituting a sturdy foundation, and with saxophonist Chris Speed and trumpeter Herb Robertson assuring a nimble frontline. The latter contributes one short piece called “Ramblin’ On”, a quite intense stretch where he literally vociferates with a distorted effect in the company of Speed’s punchy attacks and the insane entanglement weaved by the rhythm section.

From the five Nabatov originals on the album, I elect “Plain” and “Break” as highlights. The former begins with an elegant piano-clarinet recital that conjures up the most refined classical music. A sultry Arabic feel mixes with the sound of czars and an avant-jazz boldness is inevitably thrown in the mix. Speed shows off his burnished sound and expressive vocabulary, and things get tenser with Robertson’s continuous flux of terse notes, during which Nabatov colors with sophistication in the accompaniment. The pianist’s penchant for improvisation is amply demonstrated throughout the record, but he truly excels here, before the beautifully melodic conclusion. For its part, “Break” is mounted with deftness and delivered with tact, displaying bouts of excellent playing. At first, we have sax and trumpet working together, having a cerebral arco bass as a supportive factor. Sudden bursts of energy are injected by the rhythm team, and Nabatov’s ingenious pianism comes to the fore once again as he improvises with a sure sense of time and phrasing over a groovy tapestry.

The moody “Copy That” intersperses mystifying and cacophonous moments with dexterity, working the low-end sounds with a serious-minded posture. It contrasts with “Cry From Hell”, which despite the title may suggest, feels much more relaxed in the way that it consolidates the numerous musical vistas acquired by Nabatov throughout the years. It’s a mixed bag of Monk’s angular swing, Brazilian elements, jazz tradition, and a dash of Herbie Nichols’ musical temper. It’s exactly with a classic piece of the aforementioned pianist - “House Party Starting” - that the group concludes this session.

The musicians involved in this project channel their contagious energies with a common sense of direction, facilitating Nabatov's musical personality to come through loud and clear.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Plain ► 04 - Break ► 07 - House Party Starting

Joel Harrison + 18 - America at War

April 21, 2020

Label: Sunnyside Records, 2020

Personnel - Joel Harrison: guitar, vocals; Jon Irabagon: tenor sax, flute; Ben Kono: soprano and alto saxes, oboe, English horn, flute; Ken Thomson: alto sax, clarinets; Stacy Dillard: tenor sax; Lisa Parrot: baritone sax, bass clarinet; Dave Smith: trumpet; Ingrid Jensen: trumpet; Seneca Black: trumpet; Chris Rogers: trumpet; Marshal Sealy: French horn; Alan Ferber: trombone; Curtis Hasselbring: trombone; Sara Jacovino: trombone; Ben Staap: tuba; Ned Rothenberg: shakuhachi; Daniel Kelly: piano; Gregg August: acoustic and electric basses; Jared Schonig: drums; Wilson Torres: percussion, vibraphone, timpani.

On the big band recording America at War, Joel Harrison, an active guitarist, composer and bandleader based in New York since 1999, turns his attention to the futility and devastating consequences of the armed conflicts conducted by the United States throughout the years. With that in mind, he put together a tight-knit 18-piece ensemble to perform nine original compositions - written between 2014 and 2017 - and one cover, all arranged with fetching instrumentations. The conduction was assigned to trumpeter/composer Matt Holman.

Evoking Harrison’s youth in Washington DC and the strong rhythmic groove of funk music from the 60s and 70s, “March on Washington” makes for a wonderful first chapter, being smooth in the ear, yet sufficiently dynamic to get our attention to each of its moves. The substantiality of Ben Staap's tuba is strongly felt and the horn arrangement sounds great. After Dave Smith’s confident trumpet solo, an explosive wah-wah rock guitar, packed with coils and trills, erupts powerfully. Carried out by the marching snare drum of Jared Schonig, the piece's last third sustains tasteful horn lines atop. Unisons, colorful vibraphone fills, and saxophones in ecstasy, all take part in the magnetic orchestration that brings the tune to a conclusion. “1, 2, 3, 4, we don't want your fuckin’ war” is the musicians’ ultimate shout.

The cinematic noir tones that initially characterize “Yellowcake” morph into a Latin sumptuousness that also grooves with jazzy abandon. The title alludes to the type of uranium that George W. Bush used as an excuse to start a war with Iraq. The soloists - trombonist Curt Hasselbring and tenor saxophonist Jon Irabagon - allow many single notes to soar, forming phrases with precise articulation. The latter excels once again - together with multi-reedist Ben Kono (here on soprano) and trombonist Alan Ferber - on “The Vultures at Afghanistan”, a Latinized tour-de-force suffused with post-bop statements that showcase the soloists’ singularities. Schonig and the lively percussionist Wilson Torres systematize their maneuvers with acumen.

Both “My Father in Nagasaki” and “Requiem For An Unknown Soldier” share a more reflective nature. Harrison wrote the former piece with his father in mind, one of the first two men to reach the Japanese city mentioned in the title in the aftermath of the nuclear attack. Ned Rothenberg enriches it with sweet shakuhachi melodies.

If “Gratitude” mixes jazz and gospel and delivers it with a popish feel, then “Honor Song” boasts a sort of superhero-like theme in representation of the Native American tradition to honor warriors through songs. These tracks feature great improvised moments by trumpeter Ingrid Jensen and saxophonist Stacy Dillard, respectively.

“Stupid, Heartless, Pointless Drug War” closes out the album, offering a potent mix of groovy jazz and robust hard rock. Before that, you will hear Harrison singing Tom Wait's anti-war song “Day After Tomorrow”.

An impressive amount of versatility marks this album, whose message is strongly influential, both musically and politically.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - March on Washington ► 02 - Yellowcake ► 04 - The Vultures at Afghanistan

Flash Reviews - Jeff Swanson / Andre Matos / Roberto Magris

April 19, 2020

JEFF SWANSON & CASE-FITTER - FATHOMS (Bace Records, 2020)

Personnel - Jeff Swanson: guitar, OP-1; Greg Ward: alto saxophone; Dustin Laurenzi: tenor saxophone; Paul Bedal: keyboards; Matt Ulery: electric bass; Greg Arty: drums, percussion.

Chicago-based guitarist/composer Jeff Swanson reunites his Case-fitter group and releases his second album of originals. The material consists of 10 disciplined, eclectic tracks delivered with a strong sense of texture. The opener, “Gaussian”, is built in conformity with an iterative idea as a theme, just like “Tre”. They showcase the bandleader in a fine guitar solo and Ulery’s authority on the lower registers, respectively. “The Accutron”, a guitar-driven 3/4 ballad, has Swanson throwing in some eligible bluesy lines, while “Fyra” is an ostinato-drenched collage that veers into psychedelic territory. The multi-dimensional impression of Arty’s drumming is noticeable on “Elisha”, a piece that starts as a reflection but then blooms with a deft combination of snare, hi-hat and bass drum. The pieces on the album were shaped in quartet, excluding four tracks where saxophonists Greg Ward and Dustin Laurenzi add extra color: the unruffled, odd-metered “Roads”, the danceable “Replicants”, the happily electronic “Farvel”, and the indie-meets-classic rock “Let The Children Play”. [B]

ANDRE MATOS - EARTH RESCUE (Robalo Music, 2020)

Personnel - Andre Mastos: guitar, bass.

Portuguese guitarist Andre Matos continues his solo work with another album, Earth Rescue, the successor to Muquina (2016) and Nome de Guerra (2017). The sea of calm he dives into is meant to be slowly absorbed and comes reflected on “Castelo dos Mouros”, the poignant and spacious opener; “Future Memories”, which is bathed in polished textural washes; “Borboletas”, where the harmonics make me think of the wings of a butterfly at rest in opposition to the chordal movement; and the title track, a contemplative look at the Earth’s urgency to breathe and flourish again. “Carlos” is busier yet equally methodical, displaying a thick round bass in support of the guitar. If “Planalto” leans on the folk genre, “1984” is all pretty prairies and ranches, shaping up as a country song suitable for a film score. Matos adds some ambiguity to “Climbing”, but the album, as a rule, embraces breezy symmetry and easygoing melodicism. I felt some of the pieces could be extended. Politicians are invited to take a listen and, hopefully, inspired by the music, help rescuing the Earth, considering it a primary concern of the present times. [B]

ROBERTO MAGRIS - SUITE! (JMood Records, 2020)

Personnel - Mark Coilby: tenor saxophone; Eric Jacobson: trumpet; Roberto Magris: pino; Eric Hochberg: bass; Greg Artry: drums; PJ Aubree Collins: vocals.

Italian pianist Roberto Magris releases Suite!, a double album comprising originals, known jazz standards, and curious interpretations of pop and rock songs. The album opens with a great rendition of King Crimson’s “In The Wake of the Poseidon”, here propelled with a contagious rhythm and jazzified with a warm touch. Another cover that surprised me favorably was John Lennon’s “Imagine”, rendered solo with openness of heart and catchy sweeps on the higher registers. When performing solo, Magris attains deeper spiritual dimension, and titles such as “(End of a) Summertime”, a fascinating reading of Gershwin’s famous tune; “Never Let Me Go” and the self-penned modal prayer “Love Creation” charm with soulfulness. This work comes stocked with stylistic diversity, and if both “Chicago Nights” and “The Island of Nowhere” are hard bop-inflected tunes in the line of Lee Morgan and Hank Mobley, then Jerry Martini’s “One With the Sun” and “Sunset Breeze”, whose intense bossa groove brings Joe Henderson to mind, come infused with crossover flavors as they intertwine and merge distinct lexicons. “Suite!” finds a confident 3/4 stride, and everyone should meditate upon the wise words in “A Message for a World to Come”. [B]

Aruan Ortiz - Inside Rhythmic Falls

April 16, 2020

Label: Intakt Records, 2020

Personnel - Aruán Ortiz: piano, voice; Andrew Cyrille: drums; Mauricio Herrera: percussion + guests Emeline Michel and Marlène Ramírez-Cancio: vocals.

New York-based pianist/composer Aruán Ortiz doesn’t forget his Afro-Cuban roots each time he attempts to create new art-jazz sculptures. He has released several jazz albums under his own name, but the Cuban tradition got significant proportions on the excellent solo effort Cubanism (Intakt, 2017). Now, with Inside Rhythmic Falls, he further explores percussive Afro-Cuban delights, twisting them with modern creative wisdom in the company of a mighty rhythm duo composed of Grammy-nominee Cuban percussionist Mauricio Herrera and acclaimed American drummer Andrew Cyrille, an iconic figure of the avant-garde and free jazz currents. For this work, the pianist, born in the very musical southeastern Cuban province of Oriente, borrows inspiration from the changui, a style of Cuban music created by slaves working in the sugar cane refineries in the early 19th century.

“Lucero Mundo” is exclusively made of voices and percussion, with Marlene Ramirez-Cancio reciting the poem. Ortiz himself and Haitian singer Emeline Michel complete the cycle of words that serves as a homage to ancestors. In the same line, “Inside Rhythmic Falls Pt.I (Sacred Codes)” might not speak through words but does it beautifully and rawly with pure percussion. Surprisingly different and exciting is “Inside Rhythmic Falls Pt.II (Echoes)”, where the piano plays an important role in the process. While simultaneously operating in the lower registers - where he extracts sometimes intricate, well measured cadences - Ortiz outlines euphoric circuits of notes with the left hand. In connection with what’s going on, the percussionists probe new beats with a quick sense of understanding and integration.

Despite the angularity that stems from powerful tone clusters and whirling melodic chromaticism, “Conversations With The Oaks” displays the trio of performers fully immersed in a profound musical intimacy. The wide sense of risk-taking is general and expands to “Argelier’s Disciple”, where the pianist travels across several registers with agility, and “De Cantos Y Ñañigos”, where Cyrille’s simmering brushwork, together with Ortiz’s methodical execution, finds space to breathe. The latter piece makes reference to the Abakuá (also known as Ñañigo), an Afro-Cuban men’s secret society launched in 1836.

Equally intriguing, “Marimbula’s Mood” features Herrera on the Caribbean plucked box instrument called marimbula. It copes with this unostentatious finesse, contrasting with the more extroverted posture of “Para Ti Nengon”, a popular Cuban song subjected to a polyrhythmic treatment.

“Golden Voice (changui)” is a highlight, presenting fragmented piano lines in the form of patterned mosaics etched into the stretchy percussive flux. The left-hand jabs provided by Ortiz wildly stimulate, causing an impression. This piece alludes to changui singer Carlos Borromeo Planche.

Even if not as thrilling as Cubanism, the music on this record is always passionately delivered, regardless the pace and the rhythm of the pieces.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Conversations With The Oaks ► 04 - Golden Voice (changui) ► 08 - Inside Rhythmic Falls Pt.II (Echoes)

Ted Poor - You Already Know

April 15, 2020

Label: Impulse! Records, 2020

Personnel - Ted Poor: drums; Andrew D’Angelo: saxophone; Andrew Bird: violin; Blake Mills: guitar.

Seattle-based drummer Ted Poor possesses a clear, detailed language that makes him a singular voice among fellow instrumentalists. He achieved wider notoriety after joining trumpeter Cuong Vu in his trio and 4-tet projects, embracing once more the leadership with this brand new outing, You Already Know. Comprising nine pieces that favor smartly arranged forms of interplay, the album features the gifted saxophonist Andrew D’Angelo, as well as violinist Andrew Bird and guitarist Blake Mills on one of the tracks.

One doesn't have to wait long to witness the group’s constructive chemistry. “Emilia” opens the album with an intelligible conversational drum cycle that keeps going. Poor deals with each part of the drum kit with astuteness, extracting beautiful, contrasting tones that are not averse to scintillation. D’Angelo’s prayerful melodies rest over the effective piano comping that further brightens the Americana-suggested scenario. Everything seems so simple, detached of unnecessary complexities, that makes hard to believe how remarkably good it sounds.

Poor’s “Only You” marches along with a hot rhythm, grooving with a nearly trip-hop feel. There’s a two-note saxophone ostinato that shifts in key, gaining further emphasis in the presence of the piano. The sax-over-drums improvisation that follows imply folk and avant-jazz intonations, which are transported into D’Angelo’s “New Wonder”. As you can guess by know, genre boundaries are bent in a spontaneous way.

The hymnal “United” substantiates a nuanced rhythmic flux at the base that confers it a lively vibe. Rob Moose’s overdubbed string section adds passion to a number, whose melodic conduction is unsurprisingly entrusted to the saxophonist. The musicians easily find a compelling common ground here, but it’s “Push Pull”, professed at a fast lope, that has the liveliest vibe, diving headfirst in a sort of danceable psychedelia. Its effusive progression carries an intensity almost worthy of an electronic music hit.

The lyricism that comes out of D’Angelo’s effect-drenched saxophone broadens the sense of space on “Kasia”. I feel this piece as a ritualistic chant put in practice with mantric discipline and opportune electronic reverberations. Apart from this latter factor, this is quite similar to what we hear on the balladic “Reminder”, the quiet and stable contemplation that finishes off the album. In turn, “To Rome” is a curiously orchestrated blues ripen through violin laments, guitar plucks and subtle piano. Still, it’s the explicit tom-tom drumming that speaks to me more than anything else.

I wish Poor were more prolific as a leader since his formidable aesthetics and minimalistic compositional adroitness make him one of the most diligent rhythmic colorists of our times.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Only You ► 04 - To Rome ► 08 - Push Pull

Sebastien Ammann's Color Wheel - Resilience

April 13, 2020

Label: Skirl Records, 2020

Personnel - Michael Attias: alto saxophone; Samuel Blaser: trombone; Sebastien Ammann: piano; Noah Garabedian: bass; Nathan Ellman-Bell: drums.

Swiss-born, New York-based pianist Sebastien Ammann reunites his fantastic Color Wheel group, a daring project featuring musicians with whom he forged close relationships over several years performing together. Acclaimed alto saxophonist Michael Attias has in trombonist Samuel Blaser the perfect foil to obtain contrasting tonalities in the frontline, while the musical abilities of bassist Noah Garabedian and drummer Nathan Ellman-Bell assure the proper rhythmic course delineated by Ammann's contemporary perspective. The second outing from the quintet, Resilience, comprises nine tracks that unfold with a unique personality. All but two are Ammann originals.

The bandleader drew musical inspiration from visual artists for the first and the last tracks on the album. The former, “Yayoi”, is a wonderful effort inspired by the work of Japanese conceptualist Yayoi Kusama. Long and calm notes deliberately emanate from Attias' saxophone find comfort in Ammann’s inspired pianism. The impellent drumming offered by Ellman-Bell becomes salient even before the modernistic theme gains emphasis. The urgency of some passages - with Attias and Blaser exploring attractive textural avenues - differ from the tranquility of others, and everything ends as it began... in peace. In its turn, the concluding “Pedestrian Space” was inspired by the minimalist conceptual-based sculptor Fred Sandback. Under a dry-toned rhythmic spell, this streamlined piece places a major focus on piano sweeps and single-note pointillism in counterpoint with the staccato fluxes created by the horn players.

“Untangled” is a gem compellingly crafted with a form and a structure that combines the bold and the poetic. A fetching bass groove in six is momentarily altered and makes us search for the tempo, with Ammann exhibiting his deftly rhythmic comping during the busy activity of the soloists. Blaser populates apropos expressions with pragmatic circularity, while Attias excels with his simmering tone, blowing torrential melodies packed with jagged-edged formations. Both are clever improvisers in full bloom.

The Italian title “Castello di Traliccio” was taken from a book and means trellis. The Fender Rhodes confers it a nice groovy feel, while bassist and drummer, enjoying a healthy connection, deliver an unyielding rocking pulse that provides solid ground for the sax-trombone enlacement. Metrical and rubato notions are put to a test here with encouraging results.

The title track attempts to evoke the sounds of John and Alice Coltrane, using a beautiful modal progression in five over which the bandleader presents us with an enlivening, energy-filled keyboard solo.

Carla Bley’s “King Korn Revisited” and Dave Scott’s “Afterthought” are the two covers that complement the album with a keen post-bop awareness.

Stirring up some real spark with this work, Ammann is already riding a comet toward the highest galaxies of modern jazz.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Yayoi ► 02 - Untangled ► 03 - Castello di Traliccio

Kazuki Yamanaka - Dancer in Nirvana

April 8, 2020

Label: Fresh Sound New Talent, 2020

Personnel - Kazuki Yamanaka: alto and soprano saxophones; Russ Lossing: piano; Cameron Brown: acoustic bass; Gerald Cleaver: drums.

New York-based Japanese saxophonist Kazuki Yamanaka puts together a multigenerational quartet - pianist Russ Lossing, bassist Cameron Brown, and drummer Gerald Cleaver - for his second album, Dancer in Nirvana. The CD is composed of eight Yamanaka originals plus an improvised piece created in the spur of the moment and, consequently, credited to the group. The latter number, “Epilogue”, closes out the album with avant-garde commotion, exploring unconditionally as it moves in a direction of ambiguity. The bandleader’s ideas vary in shape and timbre, but often get great responses from Lossing, with the quartet entering in momentary frantic spirals.

The Motian-esque “The Lost Sheep” embraces suspension, and its strong sense of exploration is corroborated with avant-jazz sympathy on “The Life of a Mushroom”, whose forward motion is settled by a fascinating groove in five.

“Stella’s Fancy” works in a bopish vein that takes it closer to a jazz standard. Launched by Lossing’s independent ramble, this sonic canvas is painted with assertive soprano strokes, a relaxed bass drive, and elegantly brushed drumming. It sort of prepares the tone for the next track, “Lady Peacock”, another bop-inclined piece that swings in great fashion.

Having the bass moving and grooving again in a swinging route - and complemented by Cleaver’s uniform ride cymbal pulse - “Elusive Mood” brings some breeziness in its clean-cut interconnecting sounds.

Statues of Buddhism in Kyoto served as an inspiration for the memorable title cut, which opens the record with impeccably synchronized movements and the exact amount of thrill needed for us to understand that this quartet lives somewhere between tradition and modernity. Contrasting moments are found when the improvisers have the spotlight - Lossing is pretty inventive in his speech, interspersing chordal work with single-note phrasing to achieve splendid colors; in turn, Yamanaka unhurriedly builds a narrative rich in emphatic melodicism and sporadic rhythmic figures, having Brown and Cleaver shaping the backbones with their known rhythmic robustness.

“John’s Green Waltz” is another highlight on the album. Written for the late guitarist and former mentor John Abercrombie, it’s expressed with emotion and intensity, building and releasing tension along the way.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Dancer in Nirvana ► 03 - John’s Green Waltz ► 09 - Epilogue