Wadada Leo Smith with Milford Graves and Bill Laswell - Sacred Ceremonies

May 26, 2021

Label: TUM Records, 2021

Personnel - Wadada Leo Smith: trumpet; Bill Laswell: electric bass; Milford Graves: drums, percussion.

To celebrate his 80th birthday, the distinguished avant-garde trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith releases a 3 CD box set, Sacred Ceremonies, in the company of the experimental electric bassist Bill Laswell and the late free-jazz drummer Milford Graves. The recording, which took place at Laswell’s studio in New Jersey, is the product of three separate one-day sessions, with the first two volumes emerging as duos (trumpet/drums and trumpet/bass) and the third, the main focus of this review, in the trio format.

“Social Justice - a Fire for Reimagining the World” gets the ceremonies under way with percolating tribal drums and magnetizing cymbals that sound like a symphony to me, warped bass sounds devised with incantatory mysticism, and ultra-precise trumpet phrases that appeal more than moan while dancing on top of a reverberating groove occasionally modulated by wah-wah effect.

With these three extraordinary explorers, the improvisation can go anywhere as they discover as they go. Sometimes magical and ravishing, sometimes intriguing and dark, the music immerses the listeners in angular forms that are consistently good from start to finish.

“Myths of Civilizations and Revolutions” stresses the polyrhythmic artistry of Graves, whose work never overshadows the ever-surprising Laswell. The latter's command of the fretboard generates a blend of astute underpinnings with chromatic tension, offbeat textures and momentary silvery melodicism. His lockstep hypnotic vamps explore certain timbral-shadings that often makes his bass sound like a guitar, as we can hear on “Truth in Expansion”. Here, his two-minute solo intro involves us completely in the mood before merging experimental funk with post-rock and fusion chordal work. The close interplay, incorporating clear yet irregular drum patterns and cutting trumpet lines, creates an astounding range of emotions.

The closing piece, “Ruby Red Largo - a Sonnet” has a trembling, mantric-like bass drawing from a variety of ethnic traditions with Smith’s trumpet soaring high and mighty atop. Underneath all this, Grave’s beautifully tuned percussion provides not only solid ground but also a profusion of color.

Structural elements are connected with atypical exhibitions of sentiment, turning these unique meetings into amazing and unshakeable sonic worlds of their own. The album is dedicated to Graves, who passed away in February this year.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Social Justice - a Fire for Reimagining the World ► 03 - Truth in Expansion ► 07 - Ruby Red Largo - a Sonnet

Dave Holland - Another Land

May 25, 2021

Label: Edition Records, 2021

Personnel - Dave Holland: bass; Kevin Eubanks: guitar; Obed Calvaire: drums.

Dave Holland is a mighty bassist who is equally at home in world fusion and post-bop environments as with avant-garde ensembles. Another Land is a blistering fusion work delivered with a new trio that includes the versatile guitarist Kevin Eubanks, a longtime associate whose first collaboration dates back to 1990 (Holland’s quartet album Expansions), and drummer Obed Calvaire, a member of the SFJazz Collective since 2013, who joins him on record for the very first time.

The album’s nine instrumentals - four by Holland, four by Eubanks and one by Calvaire - will keep you engrossed in a kaleidoscopic musical sphere molded with startling emotional honesty.

Eubanks’ “Grave Walker” invites you to cut a rug at the rhythmic consistency of a pungent funky bounce strengthen with thoroughly imposing accents. A calmer passage emphasizes Holland’s lilting phrasing, and then there’s bluesy guitar licks fusing with tenacious rock washes, causing a radiant energy to build up.

Penned by Holland, the title cut is a soothing charmer grounded in a bass figure that gives a measured pace to the route, fortifying it with modal impression and groove. The acoustic guitar invests in an irresistible folk jazz intonation, precipitating Holland into a picturesque storytelling that stimulates the imagination.

Alluding to a deplorable year, “20 20” kicks off on a sad note, bolstered by a morose arco bass, but soon metamorphoses entirely by juxtaposing Jimi Hendrix-inspired chops with the exquisite curves of the Miles Davis Quintet and the weeping bends of the blues genre. A concluding rocking vamp brings Calvaire’s astute stretches to the fore. The drummer’s compositional traits are fully expressed on “Gentle Warrior”, which, propelled by a bass figure in five, soars into a higher plane with inward funk disposition, African folk magic and an ecstatic, rock-powered guitar solo that evokes… Hendrix once again.

The funk-rock feast continues with titles such as “Mashup”, which burns with groove before climaxing in a vamp in five, and “The Village”, which seamlessly handles changes of meter.

Holland’s allegiance isn’t to genre but to musical excellence. Whatever the context his group plays in, their sense of unity and enjoyment becomes evident, not just while riding the great themes but also when departing from the written notations to embark on thrilling improvised stories.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Another Land ► 03 - Gentle Warrior ► 07 - The Village

Charlie Porter - Hindsight

May 24, 2021

Label: OA2 Records, 2021

Personnel - Charlie Porter: trumpet; Nick Biello: alto and soprano saxophone; Orrin Evans: piano, keyboards; David Wong: upright bass; Kenneth Salters: drums; Mike Moreno: guitar; Behn Gillece: vibraphone; Damian Erskine: electric bass; Jimmie Herrod: vocals; Rasheed Jamal: rap vocals; Majid Khaliq: violin; Bassekou Kouyate: ngoni; Mahamadou Tounkara: tama.

Possessing a refined compositional style and immersive sound, trumpeter/composer Charlie Porter reflects on the present times through a mix of mainstream and neo-bop that deftly combines familiarity and surprise. Hindsight, Porter’s third album as a leader, finds him navigating great textures and ambiances with a core quartet - featuring pianist Orrin Evans, bassist David Wong and drummer Kenneth Salters - that, more often than not, is expanded with special guests.

The uplifting “Tipping Point” is a Wynton Marsalis-esque incursion delivered with manic swinging glee and asking for rapid lines and kinetic expression. Altoist and co-producer Nick Biello, acquiesces to that, launching the improvisations with unremitting energy. He’s followed closely by Porter, who glides over the chords with unremitting energy, and Evans, who astounds with brilliant outside piano playing. Before the closing theme statement, Salters is given a chance to show that his drum chops are intact.

Both the title track and the waltzing “Requiem” are ballads. The former is enriched by Behn Gillece’s vibraphone work and the cool airiness of Porter’s muted trumpet, while the latter is a tribute to the victims of covid-19.

Guitarist Mike Moreno brings flexibility to the group on five pieces. On “Walking the Plank”, where a friendly Latin announcement gives place to a pragmatic post-bop spirit, he engages in unisons with the bandleader. Both improvise with gusto on the hyped fusion “Things Fall Apart”, which weds jazz, funk and hip-hop with the help of Pink Martini’s affiliated vocalist Jimmie Herrod, violinist/lyricist Majid Khaliq and rapper Rasheed Jamal.

Draped with an inspired slick arrangement and Afro rhythmic underpinning, “In Short Supply” is definitely a highlight, featuring Malian musicians Bassekou Kouyate on ngoni and Mahamadou Tounkara on talking drum (tama). Evans’ alluring keyboard plays an important role here and the musical affinities of the group are filled out with solos from soprano, trumpet and guitar.

Following “Paradise Lost”, which alternates between a 4/4 swinging motion and confident waltzing steps, “For Ellis”, written for Porter’s newborn son, celebrates via chants of praise by the Hallowed Halls Gospel Choir, having the light-emitting trumpet complementing it.

The record addresses present concerns about the world but also hope in the future as seen by the lens of a formidable post-bop practitioner who knows how to recycle tradition for the sake of fresh contemporary music making.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Tipping Point ► 06 - In Short Supply ► 08 - Paradise Lost

Anna Webber - Idiom

May 20, 2021

Label: Pi Recordings, 2021

Personnel (disc one) - Anna Webber: tenor saxophone, flutes; Matt Mitchell: piano; John Hollenbeck: drums.
Personnel (disc two) - Anna Webber: tenor saxophone, flutes; Nathaniel Morgan: alto sax; Yuma Uesaka: tenor sax, clarinets; Adam O’Farrill: trumpet; David Byrd-Marrow: horn; Jacob Garchik: trombone; Erica Dicker: violin; Joanna Mattrey: viola; Maria Roberts: cello; Liz Kosack: synthesizer; Nick Dunston: bass; Satoshi Takeishi: drums; Eric Wubbels: conduction.

Idiom, the spectacular follow-up to Clockwise (a JazzTrail favorite of 2019), vouches that New York-based saxophonist and flutist Anna Webber ranks at the top of the list in the pantheon of modern creative music. Using tone and multiphonics as the central elements in this work, Webber merges heroic contemporary jazz with the classical music of the 20th and 21st centuries. This is a double album composed for different group formats, with the disc one comprising five pieces written for her Simple Trio (featuring Matt Mitchell on piano and John Hollenbeck on drums), and the disc two boasting an impressive lineup of 12 New York musicians that give the best sequence to the six spiffily arranged movements of “Idiom VI”.

The trio sets a vertiginous atmosphere for “Idiom I”, which concatenates patterned 'vented’ fingering flute and piano counterpoint. There’s a precise piano-driven rhythm that it’s so Mitchell’s, and a stately composite of percussion elaborated by Hollenbeck. The latter’s masterful drumming hits the spotlight on “Idiom IV”, a flawless triangular coordination enriched by Webber’s coiled tenor work.

More straightforward as a result of a reachable sense of harmony, the conversational “Forgotten Best” prepares the way to “Idiom V”, which, ascending the listener into a state of grace via air notes and flute extended techniques, is followed by “Idiom III”, a virtuosic dance-rock workout built with circular breathing and evincing pervasive musical influences from Iannis Xenakis and Morton Feldman.

Webber structures these conceptual ideas and musical complexities into a logic development that never ceases to amaze. I would describe Idiom VI, the biggest brain teaser on the album, as a twist of contemporary big band materialized from dyad multiphonics and attentively designed sonic undercurrents. “Movement I” has both the horn and string players generating buzzing sounds that alternate with resolute rhythmic accents. Wild saxophone and space-age synth statements ramp up the enlivening energy provided by the rhythm team of bassist Nick Dunston and drummer Satoshi Takeishi.

“Movement II” starts off with sculptural Threadgill-like forms, becoming deliberately warble through skittish bursts of strings, staccatos and noise, and polyrhythmic during a fine solo by trombonist Jacob Garchik. “Interlude 2 & Movement III” is cleanly and tenderly introduced before plunging into syncopated cadences and then calling out for Yumi Uesaka, who delivers an invigorating contra-alto clarinet solo. “Interlude 3 & Movement V” employs murmuring drones and long notes to build a wall of dazzling, slightly sinister ambient; it features unruffled trumpet melody by Adam O’Farrill, who later interacts with one of the sax players.

Boldly conceptual, Idiom is a hell of a record, whose meticulously blended sounds ricochet into eternity.

Favorite Tracks:
01 (disc one) - Idiom I ► 03 (disc two) - Movement II ► 04 (disc two) - Interlude 2 and Movement III

James Francies - Purest Form

May 19, 2021

Label: Blue Note Records, 2021

Personnel - James Francies: piano, keyboards, vocals; Burniss Travis: bass; Jeremy Dutton: drums; Immanuel Wilkins: alto sax; Joel Ross: vibraphone; Mike Moreno: guitar; Bilal, Peyton, Elliot Skinner: vocals; DJ Dahi: drum programming; Francesca Dardani and Sulamit Gorski: violin; Marta Bagratuni: cello; Tia Allen: viola.

The Houston-born, New York-based pianist/composer James Francies has been earning critical acclaim not only backing the saxophonist Chris Potter in his Circuits Trio, the drummer Jaimeo Brown and the vibraphonist Stefon Harris but also conceptualizing his own project where he cuts deep on forward-thinking jazz and groove, meaningful message and a plethora of musical genres. The follow up to his debut full-length album Flight (Blue Note, 2018) is Purest Form, an eclectic set of compositions with many interesting paths to cross among a flux of style that feels both very tight and very loose, thoughtful and adventurous. Similarly to his previous outing, Francies summoned the groove-adept rhythm section of bassist Burniss Travis II and drummer Jeremy Dutton to shape most of his compositions. Yet, on good time, he enjoys the presences of guest artists such as vibraphonist Joel Ross, saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins and guitarist Mike Moreno, as well as several vocalists.

The nearly 2-minute opener, “Adoration”, sets the tone, featuring a poem written and narrated in Spanish by James’ wife, Brenda Francies, over slightly distorted soundscapes and religious chants. But it’s on the kinetic “Levitate” that the trio blooms in full force, pointing to rhythmic digressions and keen harmonic movements where a wide-ranging piano solo and laser-focused keyboard beams erupt.

Immersed in celestial poise and joyful emotion, “Transfiguration” is propelled by an exuberant trap beat and boosted by Wilkins’ burnished solo. The alto saxophonist excels on the irresistible odd-metered rendition of the standard “My Favorite Things”, here dressed in new clothes and including conversational lines bouncing back and forth between Francies and Ross. A transitional 4/4 vamp accommodating a sax-vibraphone ostinato leads to a danceable final section during which Moreno’s guitar is in the lead, adding colorful dimension.

“Where We Stand” is another highlight, showcasing the rhythmic virtuosity of Dutton who engages in skittering beat fluxes and colorful cymbal splashes. The improvisations are by Ross, who applies his cultivated technique in the interest of the tune’s spirit, and Francies, whose soloing capabilities comes to the fore.

The vocal tracks are diverse, with “Eyes Wide Shut” being my absolute favorite as it exposes a heavier texture when compared with other numbers. The riffing, rock-solid backing of the quartet (with Moreno on board) handles well the mix of poignancy and energy delivered by the alternative R&B singer Bilal. Eclecticism reigns, and if “Blown Away” chills you out via Peyton’s voice and a mellow boom trap beat, then the drum-less “Rose Water”, co-written with and featuring the contemporary vocalist Elliott Skinner, drives us into the pop music universe.

Francies is a force to be reckoned with, and if you seek other influences in jazz, this might be a project to invest your time in.

Favorite Tracks:
03 - Transfiguration ► 06 - My Favorite Things ► 12 - Eyes Wide Shut

Ralph Peterson - Raise Up Off Me

May 18, 2021

Label: Onyx Records, 2021

Personnel - Ralph Peterson: drums, percussion; Luques Curtis: double bass; Zaccai Curtis: piano, keyboard; Jazzmeia Horn: vocals (#7,8,13); Eguie Castrillo: percussion (#6).

The recently deceased drummer/composer Ralph Peterson will be always remembered as a shrewd, confident player who was utterly expressive in the stories he intended to tell. Peterson died from cancer on March 1st, and Raise Up Off Me is an inspiring last album filled with optimism and empowering message. Most of the tracks here are explored in the trio format alongside two of his protégés, the brothers Zaccai and Luques Curtis on piano and bass, respectively. The trio, which had recorded Triangular III in 2016, is joined by special guests on specific tunes.

There are two dazzling originals at the top of the track list. Whereas the title cut denotes an optimum balance between relaxation and tension, reaching both spiritual and emotional states on occasion; “The Right to Live” is a post-bop number configured with untethered drum eruptions before earning a dancing quality in the B section that is hundred percent Brazilian. This is an influence that is also mirrored on “Fantasia Brazil”.

The acclaimed singer Jazzmeia Horn shines on three pieces: “Tears I Cannot Hide”, a Peterson ballad for which she wrote the lyrics; John Hicks/Betty Carter’s “Naima’s Love Song”, which gains a soft Latin touch while proceeding at a solid stride; and on her own “Please Do Something”, a lavishly and ferociously swinging ride where she’s seen at the peak of her vocal abilities. The latter tune appears as a bonus track on the LP and digital releases only

“Four Play” is an uptempo blues burner fetched from pianist James Williams’ 1984 album Alter Ego, whereas Bud Powell’s “Bouncing With Bud” features a lively, lilting brushwork from Peterson, who takes his buoyancy to a much softer level on Zaccai’s ballad “I Want To Be There With You”.

Definitely a highlight, and with the Puerto Rican percussionist Eguie Castrillo on board, “Blue Hughes” is conveniently accented according to the breezy calypso waves that propel it. Being subjected to a fresh arrangement here, this tune had been recorded in 1985 by the Blue Note Records-founded group OTB (Out of the Blue) of which Peterson was a rhythmic pillar in conjunction to the bassist Robert Hurst.

Peterson’s last goodbye exemplifies the empathetic force of his music and playing.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Raise Up Off Me ► 06 - Blue Hughes ► 13 - Please Do Something (bonus track)

Nortonk - Nortonk

May 17, 2021

Label: Biophilia Records, 2021

Personnel - Gideon Forbes: alto saxophone; Thomas Killackey: trumpet; Stephen Pale: bass; Steven Crammer: drums.

Formed in 2017, Nortonk is a heated avant-garde quartet composed of young players: Gideon Forbes on alto saxophone, Thomas Killackey on trumpet, Stephen Pale on bass and Steven Crammer on drums. All four members brought compositions for this first record and the group’s name is a nod of gratitude to drummer Kevin Norton, their former teacher at the William Paterson University in New Jersey.

Advocating dynamic interplay over stalwart rhythmic underpins, the unit provides precise synchronism and fierce melodic impulsivity on the lead-off track, “Chutes and Ladders”. Working over the obliquely broken rhythms of Pale and Crammer, Forbes has the word here, being joined by Killackey at a later time for an animated conclusion.

Like the previous piece, it was Forbes who penned “Spiders”, where the tension is treated in a different manner. Sax and trumpet echo long notes that soar above an interlaced net that pulsates with magnetic bass work and suitable brushwork. This more relaxed type of setting also befits Pale’s “Herzog”, in which the group embraces a mournful solemnity within poetic tonal registers.

Conversely, Killackey’s “Duuzh” and Crammer’s “GLaDOS” are marked by a considerable urgency in their explorative paths. But whereas the former swings categorically and unabashedly, the latter is lavishly motivic, keeping the momentum flowing with rhythmic accentuations and elastic solos by the horn players.

With one piece following logically to the next, the group knows exactly when to magnify or mitigate the energy in order to perform changes in pace and mood. Spasmodically reaching special places, they boast their own sound on each occasion.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Chutes and Ladders ► 03 - Duuzh ► 06 - Herzog

Matt Panayides - Field Theory

May 13, 2021

Label: Pacific Coast Jazz, 2021

Personnel - Matt Panayides: guitar; Rich Perry: tenor saxophone; Matt Vashlishan: wind synth; Robert Sabin: bass; Mark Ferber: drums.

New York-based guitarist and composer Matt Panayides might not be as active as a leader as we would like, but his originals are always consistently contemporary and attractive, attributes that should be enough to keep listeners from both sides of the jazz spectrum engaged.

His third outing, Field Theory, features two musicians he previously recorded with - the notorious tenorist Rich Perry and the drummer Mark Ferber - as well as two recent collaborators - the wind synth player Matt Vashlishan (a member of Dave Liebman’s Expansions Group) and the bassist Robert Sabin. This ensemble has been playing in New York venues since 2018, the year of its formation, and, together, they paint an agreeable picture, often mixing the jazz language and rock-derived elements in an aurally transparent way, regardless how many sound effects they employ. The opener, “Kite Flying”, is a straight-ahead groover that careens with shredding guitar licks and captivating flights from guitar, EWI and saxophone. Its energy is effectively transferred to “Disturbance”, a playful strutter whose vamped melodic idea and rhythm shift in tone and meter, respectively.

Whereas the fluid “Energy Mover” denotes a bop flair and harmonic saturation, “Field Theory” engages in a complex 7/4 meter, stressing some rock glamour and faultless unisons. There’s an improvised passage in which guitar, saxophone and EWI scorch along the edges, but not as much as on “2.27.20”, whose eerie quality comes from sketches of a sine wave randomly chosen and played by the musicians for exactly three minutes.

The sonic linearity of Panayides’ guitar is bent with a pitch-distorter effect in the introduction of “Closer Now”, a tuneful piece carried out at a comfortable waltzing tempo. You’ll easily find moments of pleasure not only here, but also during the unextended suite “Penta Folk”, whose four parts include episodes of dawning tranquility, pop and folk connotations, fusion panache with asymmetric form, and streamlined cinematic feel.

Panayides finds himself in these pretty catchy tunes, each of them skillfully incorporating the past and the future, the familiar and the unexpected.

Favorite Tracks:
03 - Closer Now ► 04 - Field Theory ► 10 - Penta Folk III: Ascend

Theo Walentiny - Looking Glass

May 12, 2021

Label: Self-released, 2021

Personnel - Theo Walentiny: piano.

Influenced by Keith Jarrett and Paul Bley, the 24-year-old pianist Theo Walentiny puts together a set of seven piano improvisations in his solo debut album, Looking Glass.

The promising musician, who has been based in Brooklyn since 2014 and co-leads the Aurelia Trio with equally up-and-coming associates - the bassist Nick Dunston and the drummer Connor Parks - envisions to reveal his true self through improvisations based on sceneries painted by his imagination. As he puts it, on those occasions, he and the piano become one.

The immersive first track, “Fanfare For Looking Glass” whets our appetite by opposing tension-filled left-hand underpinnings and softer yet deep reflections that take place over the middle and right end of the keyboard. The movements create a sense of awe by themselves, but when combined, they release an impressive torrent of emotions that push the pianist to excavate more textures and melodic lines. It’s a gripping starting point.

However, this bold posture seems to faint on tracks such as “Behind Tall Grass” and “Grey They Billow”, the former being a melancholy meditation that barely includes the element of surprise, and the latter containing minimally narrated parts that weakens the communication by drowning itself in extensive, profound rumination.

“Film II” regains the nerve by grabbing a catchy cadenced flux measured with a steadfast harmonization, pointillistic detail and whimsical smears that intensify the angular perspective of the viewer. It’s not hard to identify contemporary classical and experimental jazz portions over the course of a tensile stretch rich in mood fluctuations.

“The Everlasting Rain Moves” creates an irregular framework over which patterns and cycles mutate with logic, whereas “Of Worlds Other Than” conjures a restless dream with as much inert configurations as whirling spirals.

The now poetic, now rousing ambiguities of the narrative became intermittently interesting. That being said, I’m still curious to see what Walentiny’s next step will be.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Fanfare For Looking Glass ► 02 - The Everlasting Rain Moves ► 05 - Film II

Flatland Quartet - Songs From the Urban Forest

May 11, 2021

Label: Gold Lion Records, 2021

Personnel - Jon Raskin: baritone and alto saxophone, vocals; Darren Johnston: trumpet, vocals; Ross Hammond: electric guitar; Jon Bafus drums.

The Sacramento-based Flatland Quartet has one foot in the folk music and the other planted in free improvisation, and Songs From The Urban Forest, their explorative debut work, is here to prove it. The group boasts a two-horn frontline with the saxophonist Jon Raskin (from Rova Saxophone Quartet) pairing up with the Canadian-born trumpeter Darren Johnston, while the favorably atypical textures at the base come as a result of the long-standing rhythmic alliance between guitarist Ross Hammond and drummer Jon Bafus.

“Joe Hill’s Last and Final Will” opens the record with a sort of mantric vibe that is well rooted in the American blues and folk traditions. The lyrics are from Joe Hill himself, a Swedish-American labor activist and songwriter who was executed in 1915 for a murder he probably didn’t commit.

Different instrumentation plays a crucial role here, with the group trying other formats to encourage sonic diversity. Take for instance “The Aural Dialogues”, a continuous two-horn exchange that starts overtly percussive as a consequence of extended techniques (slap tongue, multiphonics, air notes), and then becomes fluently conversational with occasional contrapuntal activity before finishing with a series of rapid lines. It’s the antithesis of “Light and Sound on the River”, a guitar-percussion duet whose six-string noodling, brooding tones and changeable rhythm result in country noir ambiance.

All the same, the most powerful chapters of this journey are the ones where the four members are fully involved, loading them with sharp-witted melodic phrases, texture and pulse. As a case in point, “Cries From the Central Valley” lays disconsolate alto supplications and wailing trumpet calls on top of a deep-rooted country music that, after a while, flirts with rock and roll, in the line of the Bakersfield sound. Expect a temperature rise before the calm steel guitar conclusion.

“The King of Boulevard Park” is fantastically built with a 5/8 drum figure that, demarcating from the slowed-down guitar work, creates a fine polyrhythmic feel. Modal chords and staccato comping with splashes of twirling licks open the door for a wild guitar improvisation, and all ends up in a free jazz romp with Raskin’s untamed baritone totally into it.

“Valley Clouds in Winter” concludes the session with a lamenting glance while mixing indie-rock, folk, and free improv. En route, there’s plenty of syncopation and entanglement in the rhythm that leads to a final straight-eight rock progression sustaining overlapped ostinatos.

All sales of this record goes to the Sacramento Food Bank, which is another good reason for you to get it.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Cries From the Central Valley ► 05 - The King of Boulevard Park ► 06 - Valley Clouds in Winter

Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders & The London Symphony Orchestra - Promises

May 10, 2021

Label: Luaka Bop, 2021

Personnel - Sam Shepherd: piano, harpsichord, celesta, Fender Rhodes, Hammond B3, Oberheim 4 voice, Oberheim OB-Xa, Solina String Ensemble, Therevox ET-4.3, EMS Synthi, ARP 2600, Buchla 200e, string writing, string arrangments; Pharoah Sanders: tenor saxophone, voice; London Symphony Orchestra: strings.

The legendary tenor saxophonist Pharoah Sanders, an icon of the free jazz and an advocate of spiritual communion in music, works with the British electronic musician/producer Floating Points (Sam Shepherd) and the notable century-old London Symphony Orchestra on Promises, which signals his first release in more than a decade. This 46-minute nine-movement suite reveals a quiet nature and an irresistible sense of longing and veneration for the heavenliness.

The first movement sets the tone with a beautiful sequence of sparse chords timely arpeggiated with harpsichord, piano and synth. We recognize some ethnic influence that drowns us into the immensity of a luminous, intimate and transcendental stasis. This soft texture becomes a template throughout the record, where shifting layers of orchestration and incredibly apt electronics drape it, providing a different feel for each movement. There’s something hypnotizing in this minimalistic yet constantly deepening procedure that brings Philip Glass to mind.

Clearly enjoying the ambiance, Sanders contributes tenor pleas expressed with calmness, gratitude and empathic spirituality. The tapestries under his feet become thicker with instrumentation, and if there’s a slight dissonant charisma building up tension on “Movement II”, then the following tracks are intelligently embroidered with strings, synth, organ, vocals, and lovely electronic hooks.

Now, no movement reaches the heights of “Movement VI”, a fascinating journey graced with a hair-raising orchestration whose emotional response can easily bring tears to our eyes. In an opposing manner, “Movement VII” accommodates a larger quantity of insistent drones and keyboard patterns, leading Sanders to blow his tenor with the ecstatic circularity and fervent intensity, hallmarks of his style. Here, he has a myriad of electronic elements fluttering around him.

Although less possessed by the giant saxophonist’s improvisational flair, Promises is easier to consume than his free jazz romps of other times. It’s a beautiful work, fruit of an inter-generational collaboration that should be welcomed by each and every jazz, classical and ambient music fan.

Favorite Tracks:
05 - Movement 5 ► 06 - Movement 6 ► 07 - Movement 7

Maria Grand - Reciprocity

May 6, 2021

Label: Biophilia Records, 2021

Personnel - Maria Grand: tenor saxophone, voice; Kanoa Mendenhall: bass, voice; Savannah Harris: drums, voice.

The multi-skilled tenor saxophonist and singer Maria Grand has been displaying her singular style in several musical contexts. Magdalena (Biophilia, 2018), her previous work, featured a larger ensemble with guitar and piano, but for Reciprocity, her third outing as a leader, she operates in the classic saxophone trio format alongside bassist Kanoa Mendenhall and drummer Savannah Harris. The inspiration for the 12 original compositions on the album came from her newborn child, with all the pieces being written while expecting.

The album’s opener, “Creation: The Joy of Being”, kicks in with layered vocals stating ‘the joy of being who I am’ to which is added the reflective tone and easy gait of the bass walks and the subtly articulate drumming. The mild climate is complemented with improvisational lines atop, but the texture becomes gritty and the pace hushed as the time passes, letting us perceive a swinging motion amidst the ambiguity.

The propulsive groove placed at the base of “Wharbi” is equipped to receive the schematic, often exotic ideas that flow from the saxophone with abundant musicality. Evolving with certitude, the piece also incorporates a fine drum solo.

On “Creation: A Home in Mind”, we find Grand extracting patterned textures from her circular breathing technique. Calmly, the space remains open, but the freedom takes the musicians into a racing swing. It sounds as if they have established a compromise between visionary expressionism and serene poise.

The two complementary parts of “Fundamental” reveal lyrical tone qualities in their own terms. Pt. I manages to put together impeccable vocals, breathy droning sounds produced by bowed bass as well as some tinging cymbal activity. In turn, the explorative Pt. II combines kinetic bass lines and jittery rhythms, with the dynamics being constantly worked out for excellence. Grand reveals to be a charming singer here (citing some lines from Khalil Gibran’s book The Prophet), an aptitude further recognized on the folk chant “Canto Manta”, an engaging horn-less rendition of a healing piece from the Venezuelan Jesus Hidalgo.

In a different context, with vocals surfacing in parallel, “Now Take, Your Day” blossoms with a cool beat-making and saxophone riffing, demarcating the gentle free funk with the throbbing rhythmic feel of hip-hop.

The absence of harmony often infuses the pieces with a relative abstraction that is never difficult but rather aural. A good example of this is the closer, “Creation: Welcome”, where the group ends up engaging in a folk jazz circularity.

Motivated by motherhood, abandoned to creativity, and sharing a bit of telepathy with her trio mates, Grand takes this experience to interesting musical places.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Wharbi ► 05 - Fundamental Pt.II ► 09 - Now Take Your Day

Dopolarians - The Bond

May 5, 2021

Label: Mahakala Music , 2021

Personnel - Chad Fowler: alto sax; Marc Franklin: trumpet; Kelley Hurt: vocals; Christopher Parker: piano; William Parker: double bass; Brian Blade: drums.

The Bond marks the return of Dopolarians, a sextet of avant-gardists and free musical explorers composed of alto saxophonist Chad Fowler, trumpeter Marc Franklin (subbing for the tenor player Kidd Jordan), vocalist Kelley Hurt, pianist Christopher Parker, bassist William Parker and drummer Brian Blade (replacing the late Alvin Fielder). The ensemble remains faithful to the essence of improvisation, responding to particular situations with their musical intuition and ability to speak up through their respective instruments.

The title track is a 20-minute journey that mixes spiritual dimensions and southern blues roots right at the beginning. The occasion allows us to appreciate the rich harmonic progressions on the piano, which are followed by trumpet and saxophone expansions with a predilection for higher pitches. Parker, the bassist, bounces things up with an odd, hopping groove that provides a functional framework for Fowler’s silver-tongued improvisation. He is accompanied by Blade’s thunderous bombardment of highly sculptural drum sounds. The drummer, who is rarely seen in this avant-jazz context, is a great addition to the group, employing all his known sensitivity to deal with the volatile atmospheres. The bass solo lies on dreamy piano, also enjoying leisurely adornments from the horns and Hurt’s exploratory vocalise, which soon claims the attention while the other instruments surround it.

“The Emergence” kicks off as a densely webbed, frenzy romp with spiky horn peaks and rhythmic fragmentation. Then, it moves through a prolonged reflection that could be a bit of an endurance ride for the listeners, before returning to the dynamics that nimbly expand and contract, burning everything around.

The album closes with the stunning “The Release”, whose ethereal beauty relies on modal embodiment and spiritual enlightenment, recalling Pharaoh Sanders and Alice Coltrane in their unchained abandon.

Although not as strong as the Dopolarians’ 2019 debut (Garden Party), The Bond creates some frisson while leading us to an extraordinary finale.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - The Bond ► 03 - The Release

Chris Potter Circuits Trio - Sunrise Reprise

May 4, 2021

Label: Edition Records, 2021

Personnel - Chris Potter: tenor and soprano saxophones, flute, clarinet, sampler; James Francies: piano, keyboards; Eric Harland: drums.

A prodigious figure in the contemporary jazz world for many decades, saxophonist/composer Chris Potter constantly makes waves at every release. Sunrise Reprise, the second installment of his acclaimed Circuits Trio - featuring the formidable keyboardist James Francies and the dynamic drummer Eric Harland - consists of a five-track program that, navigating an interesting tonal spectrum, generates a technically perfect circuitry of ultra-modern sounds combined in its electric and acoustic forms.

Recorded in the midst of an imposed New York City lockdown, the album kicks off with “Sunrise and Joshua Trees”, a soaring contemplation delicately crafted with Francies’ adept textures. The tune’s glowing atmosphere has a dreamlike quality occasionally stirred by laser-like synth beams and progressively engulfed by deep bass notes that stimulate Potter’s advanced vocabulary.

The saxophonist’s echo-laced melodies hit us with soulfulness on “Southbound”, where Harland makes an incredible impact as soon as he gets down to business. Francies doesn’t stop to excel, unleashing here a momentous improvisation on top a levitating atmosphere that he created himself.

“Serpentine” is made of recoiling trajectories and sliding friction, emerging as a hip fusion piece built on the grounds of funk. Moreover, it exhibits a hip-hop-ish vibe in the language as well as fiery post-bop chromatics injected by Potter’s effect-laden horn.

Denoting an even-tempered posture, “The Peanut” plays like a ballad, carrying harmonic brilliance and melodic lucidity.

The trio concludes with the 24-plus-minute “Nowhere, Now Here / Sunrise Reprise”, a triangulated open drift which muddles through many complex layers, labyrinthine corridors, and spatially dynamic vamping sections. Following an unadorned introduction with flute and percussion, the group plasticizes through groove-centered avenues guided by busier bass offerings. At that point, a blend of funk energy and precise post-bop dynamics push the soloists to their most eloquent drive and cutting-edge musicality.

Luxuriating in individual freedom and tight collective interplay, Sunrise Reprise may not reach the heights of the Circuit Trio’s eponymous debut, but guarantees plenty of groove and atmospherics to keep you permanently connected.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Southbound ► 03 - Serpentine ► 05 - Nowhere, Now Here / Sunrise Reprise

James Brandon Lewis / Red Lily Quintet - Jesup Wagon

May 3, 2021

Label: Tao Forms, 2021

Personnel - James Brandon Lewis: tenor saxophone; Kirk Knuffke: cornet; Christopher Hoffman: cello; William Parker: bass, gimbri; Chad Taylor: drums.

The tenor saxophonist James Brandon Lewis is a conceptualist and a storyteller who takes his music very seriously. Although his records are very different from one another, his voice remains recognizable, in a process that deftly combines emotion and fleet, ferocious technique. His new album, Jesup Wagon, features him with an all-star group of creatives - Red Lily Quintet - with whom he draws up a range of perspectives to sonically portray the life, work and vision of Dr. George Washington Carver, an American agricultural scientist and inventor.

Music-wise, this body of work arrives as a flirtation between folk and avant-garde jazz, and the title cut opens the curtain with that Southern folk intonation and New Orleans-style marching strut that runs on oiled wheels. Lewis’ powerful tone and translucent expression create a wonderful solo intro as well as an invigorating statement where penetrating lower notes briefly pin rhythmic figures that dance unabashedly.

“Lowlands of Sorrow” teems with a triple meter, a chanting groove generated by William Parker’s exotic gimbri and Christopher Hoffman’s rigorous cello plucks, a caravan-like pace, and striking solos and interplay between Lewis and cornetist Kirk Knuffke. This is often filled with spiritual strength and Coltranean craftiness.

The band navigates the mournful, sometimes agonizing dirge, “Arachis” (an elegy to peanut), with deep sentiment, and a tight-knit coalition between arco bass and cello is in plain sight. Once departed from this heavy theme, Lewis, solidly supported by bass and drums, exteriorizes downright revolutionary avant-garde forays, and is later joined by Knuffke, who proceeds with autonomy without ever turning his back on tastefulness.

The terrifically melodic “Fallen Flowers” and the kinetically polyrhythmic “Experiment Station” are both outstanding. The former progresses with an asymmetric A section (7+6+7+8) and an ostinato-laden B section shaped with a sextuple meter before ending with Lewis’ engaging spoken word, a meditation on life and death. The latter piece, ending more subdued than it started, showcases the immense rhythmic abilities of drummer Chad Taylor as well as authoritative statements from sax and cornet.

Both coupling dancing quality and emotional heft, “Seer” is enriched with the African-tinged tides of Taylor’s mbira, while “Chemurgy” features the sounds of gimbri, vocal chants and a rich sax/cornet dialogue.

Obeying his musical instincts with frankness, inspiration and resolve, Lewis weaves a common lyric thread to all tunes that is indispensable for the unification of the whole. This knockout album is a must-listen.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Lowlands of Sorrow ► 05 - Experiment Station ► 07 - Chemurgy

Joe Lovano & Dave Douglas' Sound Prints - Other Worlds

April 29, 2021

Label: Greenleaf Music, 2021

Personnel - Joe Lovano: tenor saxophone; Dave Douglas: trumpet; Lawrence Fields: piano; Linda May Han Oh: bass; Joey Baron: drums

Sound Prints, the all-star quintet spearheaded by the titanic tenor saxophonist Joe Lovano and the formidable trumpeter Dave Douglas, releases its third full-length album, this time featuring only original compositions by the leaders but still inspired by the musical temperament and style of the legendary saxophonist Wayne Shorter. However, exploring such an impactful legacy takes the two composers to new places in the company of a multi-generational trio of rhythmic backers and accomplished soloists, namely pianist Lawrence Fields, bassist Linda May Han Oh and veteran drummer Joey Baron.

“Space Exploration”, the first part of Lovano’s Other Worlds Suite, first spins with spiritual consciousness and then allures our sonic palate with crisp unisons that leave room for Baron’s stable drum fills. The bass initiates a swinging route that serves the excellence of Lovano’s vertiginous ins and outs, just before Oh starts off a line of thought herself. Her impressive bass work is put on halt immediately after, when Douglas rides high on top of an adept accompaniment provided by piano and drums. Concluding the series of improvisations, Lawrence dovetails whirling figures and works on classical-inspired movements that incessantly land in the right places.

The ensemble often passes the idea of free-form exploration but never really loses the sense of structure. That’s evident in pieces touching the borders of post-bop and avant-garde, like Douglas’ “Life On Earth”, a tour-de-force that incorporates dashes of funk, bendable horn stretches, and a modal property that easily recalls the Miles Davis Quintet from the 1960’s. Moreover, the name Miles in the title of Lovano’s “Sky Miles” might not have been by chance; it’s a mighty jab into ingenious post-bop that also falls into the Shorter/Davis’ bag.

“The Flight”, the third movement of Lovano’s above-named suite (nonsequential on the album’s track list), teems with playful lyricism and smoldering horn exchanges that form a kaleidoscopic sheet of sound. It all plays out under a springy, waltzing articulation.

Douglas’ fascination for the ancient past and its major figures is bespoke in two of his pieces: “Antiquity to Outer Space”, whose modern creative traits are shaded with wafts of chamber music, and “Pythagoras”, a polyrhythmic stunner in which we find the musicians pushing and prodding each other in an effort to go beyond themselves.

Baron’s brushed textures and sizzling cymbals propel “Manitou” with the help of a coruscating bass churn. This is a ballad in six that produces plenty of melody via the elegant dance between muted trumpet and tenor saxophone.

There’s a relaxed assurance to the entire set that stems from the experience of the collective. The musicianship involved here is outstanding, resulting in a work of great impact that deserves enthusiastic commendation.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Space Exploration ► 03 - Life On Earth ► 06 - The Flight

Hedvig Mollestad Trio - Ding Dong You're Dead

April 28, 2021

Label: Rune Grammofon, 2021

Personnel - Hedvig Mollestad: guitar; Ellen Brekken: bass; Ivar Loe Bjørnstad: drums.

The powerhouse trio of Norwegian guitarist/composer Hedvig Mollestad is back with another set of hefty tunes professed with an irresistible full-fledged sonority and razor-sharp honesty. The incendiary guitarist forged a special musical partnership with bassist Ellen Brekken and drummer Ivar Loe Bjørnstad, and their intense work has generated seven albums since 2009, the year of the group’s formation.

Unsurprisingly, the music in Ding Dong You’re Dead serves the tastes of contemporary jazz fans, indie rockers and metalheads alike, in a cross-genre format that hooks us in its acute moods.

With a vibe à-la Rage Against the Machine, Brekken’s “Leo Flash Return to the Underworld” is a detailed headbanger with odd-meter signatures and high-flying solos that spread freedom and fury. Prog-rock maniacs won’t be disappointed either, and it's easy to understand from the very first minute why this trio shaped up into something special.

The blues-based “All Flights Cancelled” storms off with a hard-rock energy that recalls Black Sabbath. The blues factor is shared with the ongoing vamp stressed on the indie-pop title track, which unfolds calmly and steadily with bowed bass at first, and then with transient crystal-clear harmonics followed by atmospheric synth-guitar melody.

If “Gimbal” fascinates with thick and dark guitar washes and chromatic power-chords allied to impeccable rhythmic variances, then “The Art of Being John Malkovich” pushes us into a muscular dance-rock experience that interlocks gut-punching backbeat and heedless bass lines. It’s craggy terrain that the trio explores here with gusto.

Different from the rest, but still compatible, the clamant “Magic Moshroom” is a hallucinogenic trip where we rock, swing and dance at the same time. A sheer unexpectedness is created by syncopated drums, impressive bass mobility and improvisatory avant guitar.

“Four Candles” concludes the album on a beautiful, pathos-laden note, appearing in the form of an alternative country-esque ballad graced by colorful jazzy chords and fine percussion.

Mollestad and her trio never stop to surprise and amaze.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Leo Flash Return to the Underworld ► 04 - Gimbal ► 07 - Four Candles

Steve Slagle - Nascentia

April 27, 2021

Label: Panorama Records, 2021

Personnel - Steve Slagle: alto saxophone, flute; Jeremy Pelt: trumpet; Clark Gayton: trombone; Bruce Barth: piano; Ugonna Okegwo: bass; Jason Tiemann: drums.

The music of American saxophonist Steve Slagle, whose musical career straddles several decades and stylistic jazz currents, usually bends toward the tradition. A member of the Mingus Big Band since 1993, Slagle contributed great sonic flavors to projects by Joe Lovano, Carla Bley and the late Lionel Hampton, among others. Nascentia is the most recent entry in his 17-album discography as a leader.

“We Release” sets the tone, with the group concentrating efforts on a sunny post-bop marked by a hooky pop-ish vibe. The spirit of the musicians is typically glowing and there’s a pronounced rhythmic cadence in the harmonic drive giving it a charming touch.

While in lockdown, Slagle composed a suite whose three main parts link together through two solo interludes, one delivered by bassist Ugonna Okegwo and the other by drummer Jason Tiemann. It kicks off with “All Up In It”, a straight-ahead uptempo burner that swings convincingly while evoking the artistry of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers (a powerfully accented obbligato brings his version of Curtis Fuller’s “The High Priest” to mind). The esteemed trumpeter Jeremy Pelt and the assertive trombonist Clark Gayton offer their own personal angles to the storytelling. “Agama” is a danceable modal inflection that suits the sidestepping, hurricane-like blows of the bandleader. He saves the shouts and cries for last, loading the latinized title cut with emotional weight.

Whereas “Who Compares to You?” sounds like if the standard “Have You Met Miss Jones” had been retouched by Coltrane, “I Remember Britt” - penned by the late pianist Harold Mabern in honor of trombonist Britt Woodman - is the sweetest piece on the record, featuring Slagle on flute and a gleeful piano work from Bruce Barth.

The program is rounded off with “A Friend in Need”, an in-the-pocket piece written for the great saxophonist Michael Brecker.

Slagle holds the fort with charisma and avails himself of the engaging and supportive accompaniment his peers provide.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - All Up in It ► 04 - Agama ► 09 - I Remember Britt

Tobias Meinhart - The Painter

April 26, 2021

Label: Sunnyside Records, 2021

Personnel - Tobias Meinhart: tenor and soprano saxophone, alto flute, voice; Eden Laden: piano, Rhodes, synth; Matt Penman: bass; Obed Calvaire: drums; Ingrid Jensen: trumpet (#2,6); Charles Altura: guitar (#1,10)

German-born saxophonist/composer Tobias Meinhart has a new album inspired by varied sources, a remarkable distillation of engaging musical ideas woven together to make a more than satisfactory whole. Here, he spearheads a core quartet featuring the pianist Eden Laden, the bassist Matt Penman and the drummer Obed Calvaire, but the participation of trumpeter Ingrid Jensen and guitarist Charles Altura on two tracks each, revealed to be monster add-ons toward excellent sonic outcomes.

“White Bear” makes an impressive opener, advancing with a throttling ferocity at a 9/8 tempo and featuring a bass solo upfront. A nice unison melody glides over the rich harmonic itinerary and jagged rhythm, and then it's the liquidity of Altura’s guitar phrasing and the melodic qualities of Meinhart that stand out before a polyrhythmic feel emerges from a vamp.

Just like the first track, “The Painter” and “Bird Song” are highlights for different reasons. The former denotes a delicate fragility as it is introduced by beautiful, crystalline bass resonances, having Meinhart soaking the canvas with a dripping multiphonic melody and delivering his tenor solo with range, pure timbre and expert note choices. The latter tune places an ostinato of flute and trumpet at the base, shifts metrics along the way (5/4 to 4/4), and thrives not only with an alluring piano solo complemented with ARP String synth colorings but also with the luminous empowerment that comes from Meinhart and Jensen’s interlaced horns. The bandleader wrote this one for the Canadian trumpeter.

Calvaire brushes with flavor against the soft texture of “Oak Tree”, where Penman’s relaxation transpires through a sensitive bass statement. Also evincing affectionate demeanors and soothing tones, we have Bruno Martino’s ballad standard “Estate”, the sole non-original on the album, and “Last Dance”, a flute-driven piece propelled by a firm groove in five, which serves as a springboard for balmy modal ideas.

Inspired by the Black Lives Matter protests, “Movement” steps into more familiar post-bop territory with a swinging disposition, and another message of hope is brought by “Dreamers”, the closing tune in which Meinhart sings and plays the soprano saxophone.

The Painter is an outstanding record, finding Meinhart at the summit of his compositional prowess and underscoring the strengths of the players in it.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - White Bear ► 05 - The Painter ► 06 - Bird Song

Mehdi Nabti & Prototype - Grooves à Mystères

April 22, 2021

Label: Distrokid, 2021

Personnel - Mehdi Nabti: alto sax, nira, clave; Joy Anandasivam: electric guitar; Nicolas Lafortune: electric bass; Bertil Schulrabe: drums, derbouka, percussion.

The French-born, Canada-based alto saxophonist and composer Mehdi Nabti returns with Grooves à Mystères, a focused effort containing eight flowing groove-imbued selections that bridge diverse musical cultures and illustrate a very personal musical concept he called Afro-Berber continuum, the thread underneath all his projects. Fronting his quartet Prototypes, Nebti takes an extremely functional North Africa-meets-West approach that brims with modal forms and formidable rhythmic complexities.

The tone is set by the opener, “Antée” - aptly assembled with African percussion, a round bass groove with a funky feel, odd tempo, lenient jazz chords, and a beautiful, celestial melody that shapes into a sequence of fragmented lines during the sax improvisation. Articulation is never in question, even when the solos take a more modest role like in the case of guitarist Joy Anandasivam.

Propelled and illuminated by an infectious groove provided by the bassist Nicolas Lafortune and the percussionist Bertil Schulrabe, “Ayyur” feels very Eastern in sound, recalling the sonic cross-genre formulations of the saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa, yet with not as much eloquence in the expression. The sumptuously breezy “Eon”, built over a 13-beat cycle, flows with a sub-Saharan incantation, making us breathe the air of different worlds with a spiritual sense of wonder rather than pressure, whereas “Esperanto” overflows with impromptu oratory, stepping ahead forcefully as it enters in a celebratory mode with accurate rhythmic moves and a decided folk comportment. In turn, “Mithra” makes a decent jazz-funk stab, stressing an array of staccato lines in the theme.

Navigating highly structured frameworks, the group achieves a fine balance between the effortlessly charming and the wryly intricate, and if the traditional Macedonian “So Maki Sum Se Rodila” expands its roots by growing world-fusion branches, then the closer, “Timgad”, remains hypnotically static in a 10/8 meter flow while Nabti plays the nira (Moroccan flute) with light-footed ritualistic gestures.

As a mosaic of eclectic influences, the music on this album can be rewardingly illuminating, remembering us that the beauty of jazz also relies on its ability to be open and merge with other styles.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Antée ► 03 - Eon ► 05 - Mithra