Andrew Cyrille Quartet - The News

August 19, 2021

Label: ECM Records, 2021

Personnel - Bill Frisell: guitar; David Virelles: piano, synth; Ben Street: double bass; Andrew Cyrille: drums.

The News, the second platter offered by a quartet led by accomplished drummer/composer Andrew Cyrille, encompasses different flavors and spices that should be tried. There's one change in the group's lineup with the addition of Cuban pianist David Virelles, a logical replacement for the late Richard Teitelbaum, who died last year at the age of 80. Virelles had never played with guitarist Bill Frisell before but had enlisted Cyrille and bassist Ben Street to support him on his 2012 album Continuum.

The album opens with the imperturbable composure of Bill Frisell’s “Mountain”, which brings a sheen-polished dose of Americana to the table. Virelles opts for a deep and dark sonority here, but not on “Leaving East of Java”, a piece by pianist Adegoke Steve Colson where his adventuresome choices include an instinctive Latin tinge and a captivating avant-jazz nimbleness. The tune, previously tackled by Cyrille in the company of his Trio 3 partners - saxist Oliver Lake and bassist Reggie Workman - starts with a long intro before entering in that soft groove that gradually increases in speed while inviting to improvisation.

In addition to the album's aforementioned opener, Frisell contributes two other pieces: “Go Happy Lucky”, a blues where his mellow guitar licks go beautifully with the piano accompaniment that emerges from the low register, and “Baby”, whose genuine sense of bonhomie makes us rest in a clear sea of tranquility. At this spot, Cyrille’s just-right brushwork shows how poetically expressive his art form can be.

The bandleader encourages interpretive freedom with “The News”, an electronic-fueled avant-garde piece he wrote that favors collective interaction, and also “Dance of the Nuances”, in which he shared compositional efforts with Virelles, straddling genres through an amalgam of elements drawn from ambient, avant-garde, experimental and electronic music.

I couldn’t leave Virelles’ “Incienso” without a mention because those poignant piano chords laid over a sensuous rhythm caught my ear immediately. Not only the interplay between Frisell and Virelles provides a wider, often polyphonic scope, but also Street’s sense of restraint and Cyrille’s impeccable rhythmic embellishments become preponderant so that everything sounds pleasantly organic as it is.

Cyrille’s specialty was always free and avant-garde jazz but this quartet opens further possibilities, making his musical menu diversified. It’s also a perfect fit for the known ECM sound.

Favorite Tracks:
03 - Go Happy Lucky ► 06 - Baby ► 07 - Dance of the Nuances

Terence Blanchard - Absence

August 17, 2021

Label: Blue Note Records, 2021

Personnel - Terence Blanchard: trumpet, synth; Fabian Almazan: piano, keyboards; Charles Altura; guitar; David Ginyard: bass; Oscar Seaton: drums + Turtle Island Quartet [David Balakirshnan: violin; Gabe Terracciano: violin; Benjamin von Gutzeit: viola; Malcom Parson: cello].

American trumpeter/composer Terence Blanchard emerged in the mid 80s as a fresh face on the scene with collaborative albums with saxophonist Donald Harrison. He is widely known for his work for film (Harriet, Inside Man, Da 5 Bloods), noteworthy post-bop albums (Wandering Moon, 2000; Bounce, 2003) and for his visionary E-Collective band with which he releases now his third outing - following up Breathless (2015) and Live (2018) - on Blue Note. The current lineup includes the longtime collaborator pianist Fabian Almazan, guitarist Charles Altura, bassist David Ginyard (replacing Donald Ramsey) and drummer Oscar Seaton. On this record, they are joined by an efficient quartet of strings led by violinist David Balakirshnan.

At once challenging and accessible, Absence is a shining salute to saxophonist Wayne Shorter, including readings of five of his tunes with formidable arrangements from Blanchard and Almazan. The latter did a great job on two Weather Report classics - “The Elders”, which, layered with modernist conviction, denotes enthusiastic exchanges of phrases, figures and details between trumpet, piano and guitar; and “When It Was Now” where a curious, sweet-sounding jazz-funk is revealed. The string quartet is impeccably integrated and even stretches by itself on the suite-like “The Second Wave”, brought with vivid expression and references to other songs.

Ginyard contributes the title track, whose sensationally pictorial expression resonates with punchy beauty, as well as the peculiar “Envisioned Reflections”, which confers a pneumatic experience with a slack beat. In turn, Altura’s “Dark Horse” promotes variety by flowing liquidly with absence of strings.

Blanchard’s soulful, bold brass (always infused with synth effect) yearns for the sky on his intoxicating “I Dare You”, a heavier, more aggressive and perfectly accented piece where energetic post-bop meets rock posture. It comes loaded with prismatic synth ostinatos and tinged with acid lines. The title of this track was culled from a phrase by Shorter: “jazz means I dare you”. Furthermore, the Collective’s takes on Shorter’s harmonically rich ballads “Fall” and “Diana” are comforting, reassuring and generously tender.

The groove of the rhythm section permeates an album cresting with cosmic melodies. Blanchard’s new album rewards those who look for modern-sounding contexts.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Absence ► 02 - The Elders ► 05 - I Dare You

David Leon - Aire de Agua

August 16, 2021

Label: Out of Your Head Records, 2021

Personnel - David Leon: alto saxophone; Sonya Belaya: piano; Florian Herzog: bass; Stephen Boegehold: drums.

Aire de Agua, the exciting debut album from the Brooklyn-based Cuban-American saxophonist David Leon, showcases a collection of interesting original pieces presented alongside pianist Sonya Belaya, bassist Florian Herzog and drummer Stephen Boegehold. The quartet transpires youth but also sounds experienced, probing a variety of possibilities within the creative trio aesthetics.

The opening track, “Strange and Charmed”, has an explosive start, bringing a powerful saxophone figure that skids across an inventive tapestry weaved by the rhythm team. Stringing along with accents, silences and multiple color in their stable interplay, this piano-bass-drums fellowship creates moments of pure connection, taking advantage of Leon’s microtonality and hyper-articulated phrases. The intonation of some of them reminded me of the saxophonist Steve Lehman.

While “Horrible, Horrible Service” employs swinging mechanisms to ease the tension initially created, the title cut implies a slight Latin feel, incorporating flux breaks and then metamorphosing into something new. There’s an enthusiastic bass solo before the reflective stillness imposed by a passage with bowed bass and spectral pianism.

If “First You Must Learn the Grip” goes from the bop-influenced lines of the theme to an off-kilter improvised section in which Leon’s fearless blows ensure timbral allure (Darius Jones appears as a possible reference), then “Expressive Jargon II”, involving motivic call-and-response, doesn’t shroud the classical and chamber music influences.

The group strives to create different shapes and forms, and “Pina”, inspired by the German dancer and choreographer Pina Bausch, has a special tone. Evolving in a more delicate and poetic avant-jazz setting, it showcases Leon’s command of slap tonguing technique, here curiously matched in sound by the cross-stick snare bumps. It prompts us to accept a more breathable, airy feel.

Aire de Agua is a splendid debut from a young saxophone player who, starting with the right foot, promises to make a name for himself in the creative jazz scene.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Strange and Charmed ► 03 - Pina ► 05 - First You Must Learn the Grip

Gerry Gibbs - Songs From My Father

August 12, 2021

Label: Whaling City Sound, 2021

Personnel - Gerry Gibbs: drums; Kenny Barron: piano; Buster Williams: bass; Geoffrey Keezer: piano; Christian McBride: bass; Larry Goldings: organ; Patrice Rushen: piano; Kyeshie Gibbs: percussion.

The American drummer and bandleader Gerry Gibbs honors his 96-year-old father, the bebop vibraphonist Terry Gibbs, on Songs From My Father, a double-disc record of swinging jazz with no horns involved. The program consists of the latter’s catchier tunes plus one piece by the late pianist Chick Corea, whose appearance here marks his final recording.

Corea pays a wonderful tribute to Gibbs with “Tango for Terry”, which, mixing 4/4 and 3/4 tempos, has that unmistakable Corea imprint in it. But the pianist is also honored here with “Hey Chick”, which is nothing else than Gibbs’ “Hey Jim” retitled and performed by everyone on the record with the exception of Corea himself. This piece has the particularity of featuring the original audio from 1961, which joined Terry with the pianist Pat Moran, bassist Max Bennett and drummer Mike Romero.

Disc one opens with “Kick Those Feet”, a 1964 gem that bursts with joie de vivre in the hands of pianist Kenny Barron, whose inventive language is always spot-on, bassist Buster Williams, whose deep underpinning quality remains impressive, and Gerry, who is consistently competent throughout.

The exuberant straight ahead jazz continues with “Obstacle Course”, a sunny ray of brilliant bop infused with snare rolls and featuring Corea and the bassist Ron Carter. This same trio explores Latin grooves on “Sweet Young Song of Love”, and more rhythms can be enjoyed on “The Fat Man”, which, instead, features pianist Geoffrey Keezer, who does a stride piano demonstration at the end, and bassist Christian McBride, who bows creatively before trading fours with the drummer. This same trio also delivers the uptempo “Nutty Notes” and the pleasingly exultant “Gibberish”, both picking up steam in their uppermost swing.

The trio of Gibbs with the organist Larry Goldings and pianist Patrice Rushen is featured on “Smoke ‘em Up”, a lustrous jazz funk, and “Townhouse 3”, which boasts a rip-roaring bossa groove. Playing his own arrangement, Corea comes to the fore once more on “Waltz for My Children”.

Enthusiasts of the straight ahead jazz have here a great opportunity to hear a few jazz giants of gutsy fluency stretching together. They keep the bebop alive in a transparent disc with no place for obscurities or complex meters.

Favorite Tracks:
01 (disc one) - Kick Those Feet ► 09 (disc one) - Hey Chick ► 10 (disc two) - Tango For Terry

Paulo Santo - Agueda

August 11, 2021

Label: Robalo Music, 2021

Personnel - Paulo Santo: vibraphone; João Mortágua: alto and soprano saxophone; Luís Cunha: trumpet; Francisco Brito: bass; João Lopes Pereira: drums.

The album Águeda finds the Portuguese vibist Paulo Santo paying tribute to his maternal grandmother while working in challenging territory. He is seen at the helm of an aesthetically rigorous quintet that includes João Mortágua on alto and soprano saxophones, Luís Cunha on trumpet, Francisco Brito on double bass and João Lopes Pereira on drums.

Nicely programmed, this well-rounded set of contemporary music captivates the listeners with magnetic atmospheres. The group’s cohesive palette of sounds starts to gain expression with the opening track, “As She Swings, As a Po(o)p Song”, where the trumpet kicks off unaccompanied, and then welcomes the saxophone into the folk melody . This is before the rhythm section lays down an unaggressive, groovy tapestry that invites Santo and Mortágua to expose their soloing resourcefulness.

Admirable tone drawings are rendered in “Tomate Com Óculos”, a post-bop stunner inspired by Santo's dog and where the horn players and the bandleader alternate statements over an arresting odd-meter groove. “Hover It”, in five, is another airy piece that touts relaxation, with the men in the frontline cooly blowing in unison. However, it was “Wishing” - a tone poem slowed to a crawl - that impressed me the most with its hypnotic, haunting and ethereal reflections of light.

Santo’s musings are never overpowering, even when it comes to slightly brisker settings. “Freefall” follows a colorful framework in which a Bobby Hutcherson-fueled post-bop mutates into an avant-gardish ambiance à-la Dave Holland Quintet, whereas “Pow” has Santo free to flow everywhere with proper shadings when sax and trumpet are concurrently active in the conversation. He also projects his mallet playing forward when required. The album closes out with the waltzing pop-song pulse of “The First Time I Sang You”.

Águeda is full of inspiring chops and agreeable moods. That fact will certainly contribute to put Paulo Santo on the map as a bandleader.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Tomate Com Óculos ► 03 - Wishing ► 04 - Freefall

Gordon Grdina / Jim Black - Martian Kitties

August 9, 2021

Label: Astral Spirits, 2021

Personnel - Gordon Grdina: guitar, oud; Jim Black: drums, electronics.

This outstanding set of improvised pieces by the guitarist/oud player Gordon Grdina and the drummer Jim Black, bristles with multi-genre paradoxes and incredible articulations. Recording together for the second time (after Grdina’s Nomad Trio’s debut album), these lads bring lots to the table with their faultless synergy and love for the avant-jazz, prog-rock, indie electronic and world music.

Things get down to business immediately with “Martian Kitties”, the track that gave the album its title, which pairs down an incisive krautrock rhythm with noise-rock, two ingredients that always go well together. The density is momentarily decongested through spacious effects before the reinstatement of the zest via torqued high-pitched ostinatos and walloping drumming.

The next piece, “A Monkey Could Do It”, changes dialects into an avant-fusion where an extraordinary oud rhythm functions properly over the mutating abrasions of wood on metal and skin provided by Black, an authentic guru of the rhythm.

“Buggy Whip” is dark and sinister, with heavy electric guitar and taut drum in a confluence that seems to join the doom metal of Paradise Lost and the noise-rock of Lightning Bolt. Totally different is “Conservative Conservation”, which takes us into a journey crystallized by beauty and tension alike. This is created by Black’s unpredictable and highly syncopated fluxes and Grdina’s full-of-feeling oud peregrination.

Pieces that are short in duration (clocking in at less than two minutes) provide a panoply of otherworldly atmospheres - “Black Lodge” exudes a classical-inspired etherealness; “Weird Funk” is made of unhinged smears of odd beat, crushing guitar and sampling; “Social Scene 1 and 2” trench on ambient electronic while adding some wistful tones; “Short Scale” has visceral oud playing laid atop a muscular rhythm; and “Fuzzy Goats” takes you to a psychedelic trip.

The creativity of both is discernible, and “Abercrombie” exemplifies that in perfection during its two phases - firstly, by sporting bowed cries over a dark, noisy electronic texture, and then by underscoring the narrative with a menacing rumble that comes from offbeat drum gushes and cyclic guitar lines.

This is adventurous music by two idiosyncratic players who have excellent results by joining their own visions.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Martian Kitties ► 10 - Conservative Conservation ► 12 - Abercrombie

Barry Altschul's 3Dom Factor - Long Tall Sunshine

August 5, 2021

Label: Not Two Records, 2021

Personnel - Jon Irabagon: tenor and soprillo saxophones, alto clarinet; Joe Fonda: double bass; Barry Altschul: drums.

With Long Tall Sunshine, the legendary drummer, composer and bandleader Barry Altschul (Paul Bley, Anthony Braxton, Chick Corea, Sam Rivers) expands the initially intended trilogy with his muscular, highly explorative 3Dom Factor trio, featuring Joe Fonda on bass and Jon Irabagon on reeds.

This recording, captured live during the 2019 tour, comprises one brand new composition and four familiar pieces by Altschul - all previously recorded by this ensemble - with three of them harking back to his first trio (1979-1980) with trombonist Ray Anderson and bassist Mark Helias. But don’t fret about it because they appear here wearing new outfits to provide different experiences.

The brand new title track bursts out of the starting gate with groove, swinging motion and Latin segments delivered with a superior quality. This open rhythmic disposition pervades the album, and whereas the rhythm section is permanently on guard - sending forth thrumming bass pulses and timbral drum irradiation - Irabagon is on the loose, blowing with such an authority and making his positively titanic presence felt.

The saxophonist embraces his instrument in full, without making concessions in the aesthetics he envisions, and the kinetic “The 3Dom Factor” is another wonderful example of that. Everything starts with a jaunty free romp whose force declines for a sturdy yet refined bass discourse. Irabagon then steals the show with flamenco-tinged melodies, percussive popping sounds, complex chains of notes, as well as play with the saxophone airflow and producing quirky sounds via extended techniques.

“Irina” is a ballad propelled by brushes and melodically escorted by the alto clarinet, while “Be Out S’Cool” brings some ambiguity in its articulation, featuring a trialogue between soprillo sax, bowed bass and the confident sounds conjured from Altschul’s drum kit. This can be heavy with detail but is also continually rewarding.

The recording ends with Altschul’s oldest number, “Martin’s Stew”, where the drummer draws a logical intro before carrying a frantic swinging energy that serves as a platform for extended solos by the threesome.

Altschul shows no signs of flagging, and we welcome his powerful trio anytime.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Long Tall Sunshine ► 02 - The 3Dom Factor ► 04 - Be Out S’Cool

Pete Rodriguez - Obstacles

August 4, 2021

Label: Sunnyside Records, 2021

Personnel - Pete Rodriguez: trumpet; John Ellis: tenor and soprano saxophone; Luis Perdomo: piano; Ricky Rodriguez: bass; Rudy Royston: drums.

Fast-rising star trumpeter Pete Rodriguez, who was raised in the Bronx and Puerto Rico and now lives in Austin, Texas, convenes a powerful quintet that shows undeniable chemistry across 11 originals. Although channeling optimistic vibes, the compositions resulted from challenging real-life episodes.

The group’s elasticity is promptly felt on the uplifting “50”, a contrafact on Coltrane’s “Moment’s Notice” that served to commemorate Rodriguez’s 50th birthday. There’s killing synchronous playing between bassist Ricky Rodriguez and saxophonist John Ellis as well as wonderful contrapuntal polyphony with the bandleader involved. The nimble, eloquent soloing - by Ellis, Rodriguez and pianist Luis Perdomo - occurs over exciting tapestries with swinging motions, transient pedal-point vamps and other exuberant rhythmic details.

Vouching for a strong modal flair and an exceptional odd groove, “Abraham” begins with solo trumpet and advances into a witty sax-trumpet-piano interplay that glistens and shimmers. Perdomo then switches to keyboards, announcing a new passage and a contrastive ambiance.

Rudy Royston’s high-quality drumming is critical for the kinetics of “El Proceso”. Anchored with a firm pulse, this piece showcases the sharp, wide-ranging trumpetism of Rodriguez, and then is softened up with a mellower soprano sax statement, ending with a latin-infused vamp for the drummer.

A vamp in six concludes “Mi Ritmo”, a grooving number whose theme - with parallel piano/sax melodies alternating with equally parallel trumpet/bass - is a nod to Monk and Parker as bop lines mix with some angularity. Here, bass and drums provide a churning swinging blast with minimal accompaniment from the piano. This combination of straight-ahead jazz with crisp modernity also comes to life on the hectic, uptempo “FU John” and the bracing “Obstacle”, which is based on saxophonist Gigi Gryce’s “Minority”. The infectious locomotion inflicted to the latter piece and most of the album’s tracks comes to an appeasement during the velvety-textured “Triple Positive”, a song with a soul-jazz bend written for a close family friend who passed away from breast cancer.

It’s impossible not to react to what these players have to offer, and Rodriguez, whose father was the salsa singer Pete ‘El Conde’ Rodriguez, demonstrates to have much more under his sleeves than just Latin groove.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - “50” ► 02 - Abraham ► 08 - Obstacles

Ernesto Jodos Trio - Confluence

August 2, 2021

Label: ears&eyes Records, 2021

Personnel - Ernesto Jodos: piano; Mark Helias: bass; Barry Altschul: drums.

This gracefully compatible trio led by Argentinian pianist Ernesto Jodos and featuring a pair of creative veterans of the rhythm - bassist Mark Helias and drummer Barry Altschul - is marked by lengthy musical bonds. Jodos and Altschul celebrate here their 15-year-old musical relationship, but curiously, it's the 40-year connection between Helias and Altschul that clearly wins (they first recorded together in 1979).

Their fine-tuned rapport materializes in great musical moments, and the leadoff track, Helias’ “Waltz For Thursday Face”, is a beauty of a tone poem we want to revisit more than once. We can feel the breeze in their musicality, and the following piece, Jodos’ “LL #4”, also brings that aspect to the surface. It’s a rhythmically loose narrative, rich in ideas and confidently expressed with collective flow, but also surprising rippling countermoves from Jodos whose demeanor shows the influence of Lennie Tristano.

Teaming up with the foundation builders, the pianist is perfectly attuned to the three-dimensional concept he envisions for “Diorama”, which is upgraded with a quasi-ambient drum solo.

Altschul revives two of his old tunes here, “You Can’t Name Your Own Tune”, a swinging catharsis first recorded in 1977, and “Be Out s’Cool”, which he recorded with Helias and trombonist Ray Anderson in 1980 for the album Brahma. Elegant swinging tapestries, rhythmic figures, and well-measured cadences with metric modulation and an unceasing sense of freedom continue to be part of the trio's game.

Helias’ brings more intriguing tones to the table with his other three compositions - if the episodic “24 Module” probes distinct atmospheres over three sections, “On the QT” denotes perfectly synchronized moves and a discernible melodic line that inspires a folk-inflected solo from Jodos. In turn, the concluding “Come Alive” goes from brooding (with sparse piano drips, solemnly bowed bass and restrained drumming) to lushly harmonized to statically grooving. The trio’s sense of adventure is alive.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Waltz For Thursday Face ► 02 - LL #4 ► 06 - Be Out S’cool

Miguel Angelo Quarteto - Dança dos Desastrados

July 28, 2021

Label: Carimbo Porta-Jazz, 2021

Personnel - João Guimarães: alto saxophone; Joaquim Rodrigues: piano; Miguel Angelo: bass; Marcos Cavaleiro: drums.

Miguel Angelo, who is based in Porto, has been an active bassist in the Portuguese jazz scene, spreading his musical evolution across a variety of personal and collective projects. Dança dos Desastrados marks his third outing - following Branco (2013) and A Vida de X (2016) - with a quartet that features João Guimarães on alto sax, Joaquim Rodrigues on piano and Marcos Cavaleiro on drums. Composed solely of original compositions, the 10-track album is based on possible traditional dances, whether real or imaginary.

Particularly strong moments are found on pieces such as “Era Uma Vez…”, whose compelling storytelling is imbued with a notable harmonic intensity and tight bass-drums-piano interlocking, and “Valsa do Solitário”, whose mordant sophistication mixes lucid and dreamy perceptions with a newfound warmth. The sinuous saxophone lines of Guimarães gain a special expression in this last-mentioned tune.

Initially propelled with a marching snare drum and climaxing with a vamp that comes immediately after the solos, “Caminho dos Perdidos” leans on the pop/rock universe as well as folk, contrasting with “Vira do Avesso”, where the group steps into more rhythmically accented territory. On the other hand, the title cut suggests something rock’n’roll-ish in its quasi-Latin groove before the post-bop-inflected solos take place.

Three short improvised pieces - “Capítulo I”, “Capítulo II and “Capítulo III” - very much pleased me with their pastoral quality and reflective mood. Strong melodies peek from the quiet textures at the core of these chapters, the last of which denotes interesting rubato playing and intriguing exotic sounds delivered with a loose posture.

Miguel Angelo creates amiable environments, hanging on solid frames to be colored with both crisp and curved brushstrokes in the company of his bandmates.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Era Uma Vez… ► 06 - Valsa do Solitario ► 08 - Capitulo III

Nate Wooley - Mutual Aid Music

July 27, 2021

Label: Pleasure of the Text Recordings, 2021

Personnel - Nate Wooley: trumpet; Ingrid Laubrock: tenor saxophone; Sylvie Courvoisier: piano; Cory Smithe: piano; Matt Moran: vibraphone; Joshua Modney; violin; Maria Roberts: Cello; Russell Greenberg: percussion.

For this stunning new double-album, the Brooklyn-based trumpeter and bandleader Nate Wooley, a notable figure in the avant-garde jazz scene, asks his bandmates to use their gifts and decision-making ability throughout eight ensemble concertos devised with an inventive compositional system of his own. Given certain pre-established rules, each member have to decide what to play, firstly as a human being and secondly as a musician, developing musical sequences that, going beyond expectation, blossom into completely new vistas than those presented on paper. The results are astounding, and the group forges inimitable sequences, probing both diaphanous atmospheres and spiky musical razors that invite us to picture worlds beyond the tapestries of sound.

“Mutual Aid Music I” plunges in a lachrymose state, fluctuating between the ethereal and the substantial with the trumpeter at the helm. A beautiful cohesion is achieved - the piano work is phenomenal, the cellist saws away with purpose, the saxophone quietly brings a velvety smoothness with it and the violin introduces some acerbic rasps. It ends with moving trumpet and a chain of piano effects.

“Mutual Aid Music II” kicks off with trumpet and saxophone manifestations: Wooley employs his adamantine melodies of rare elegance, which serve as a foil for Ingrid Laubrock’s more temperamental curlicues. Later on, they have Matt Moran’s relaxing vibes mediating their conversation until Sylvie Courvoisier’s piano stirs some friction. A central rhythmic figure is addressed by everyone with different intonation and the piano, which can easily bend from cloudy to ecstatic, triggers a type of fanfare with trumpet and violin immersed in repetitive riffing and a more loose saxophone improvisation.

I found “Mutual Aid Music III” to be very emotional, oozing sentiment through every pore of its brittle skin, whereas “Mutual Aid Music IV” offers a stratospheric confluence of avant-jazz, modern classical and new music, in which the strings (in a first stage) and then the prepared piano (toward the finale) assume prominent roles.

The highlights of the second disc are “Mutual Aid Music I-I”, whose grandiose outset takes us to warped, hypnotic and eerie experimental atmospheres, and the 14-plus-minute “Mutual Aid Music IV-I”, where the group keeps varying the intriguing orchestral alchemy by dint of ostinatos, suspensions, gracious contrapuntal movements, pensive muse and emotional exteriorization.

This is a smart, masterful study in constructive music with a focused human perspective. Wooley stands out among the crowd of modern creative innovators, and Mutual Aid Music is his masterpiece for 2021.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Mutual Aid Music I ► 02 - Mutual Aid Music II ► 03 - Mutual Aid Music III

Sam Blakeslee & Wistful Thinking - The Long Middle

July 26, 2021

Label: Outside in Music, 2021

Personnel - Sam Blakeslee: trombone; Chris Cole: saxophone, electronics; Brandon Coleman: guitar; Matt Wiles: bass.

New York-based trombonist/composer Sam Blakeslee, a native of Ohio, presents a fittingly serene debut album with his drummer-less trio Wistful Thinking plus one. Blakeslee, a member of Dan Pugach Nonet and Remy LeBoeuf’s Assembly of Shadows, among other groups, showcases seven originals and an intriguing reading of an Appalachian folk song, enjoying the company of saxophonist Chris Coles in the frontline, and relying on Ohioan associates - guitarist Brandon Coleman and bassist Matt Wiles - to stitch everything together with their well-hinged actions.

Most of the gentle subtleties found in The Long Middle stemmed from the sense of social and physical isolation that affected the world last year. The title track, the last piece composed for this record, transpires relaxation in the radiant melody, emulating the slow passage of time during the pandemic. The clear feelings conveyed here oppose to the ambiguity offered with the atmospheric “Bygones Are Bygones” and the folk-drenched “Shady Grove”, an Appalachian song transfigured by a strange enchantment and exposing an enjoyable balance between light and dark tonalities.

Both the slow-burner “Ashokan” and the dreamy “Approaching Closure” channel the refined musical attributes of trumpeter Kenny Wheeler in their tranquility. The former takes well-rounded waltzing steps and includes empathetic statements from guitar, saxophone and trombone, while the latter builds a chimeric idealism before entering the polyphonic segment that poses in the main theme.

“Bob”, a nod to the late influential trombonist Bob Brookmeyer, swings tastefully with a well-honed arrangement that shows Blakeslee’s melodic sense at its best. The compelling interplay between bass and guitar illuminates the scenario, also becoming pivotal on the casual “Franklin’s Blues”, a blues-meets-post-bop delivered with grace and loose elasticity.

Using his competence to envelop us in his impressionistic sound cloud, Blakeslee is a name to keep in mind. The Long Middle represents another stop on the road to soaring post-bop.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - The Long Middle ► 06 - Bob ► 07 - Shady Grove

The Killing Popes - Ego Kills

July 22, 2021

Label: Clean Feed, 2021

Personnel - Oli Steidle: drums, percussion, marimba; Dan Nicholls: keyboards, bass, sampling; Frank Mobus: guitar; Phillip Gropper: saxophones; Phil Donkin: bass; Nathalie Sandtorv: vocals (#8); Jelena Kuljic: vocals, sampler; Liv Nicholls: backing vocals.

The Killing Popes, a brainchild of the inventive German drummer/percussionist Oli Steidle, is now a duo with the inclusion of Dan Nicholls who, besides producing, plays keyboards, bass and sampling. The duo crosses genre barriers with legitimacy, counting on the close-distance interplay of musicians such as guitarist Frank Mobus, saxophonist Phillip Gropper, bassist Phil Donkin and a trio of guest vocalists.

The new album, Ego Kills, oozes out a weirdly intoxicating feel, and “Bling Bling Frog$”, being as much playful as it is unorthodox, takes us into an electro-jazz universe with intense concentration of depth-charged odd beats, round funky bass playing, fragmented fluxes and nifty ostinatos. Gropper’s vivid saxophone makes a nice contrast with the effects-laden soundscapes created by spacious guitar and soaring synths.

“Butcher” effectively blends experimental funk-rock and nu breaks with an outrageously fun pose, drawing attention to its rhythmic diversity as well as Mobus’ guitar work, which veers from adamant staccato to improvisatory off-kilter. His art-rock boldness also bursts into view on “Chthulu”, where plummeting breakbeats, jazzy keyboard sounds and angular unisons exude a transcendent grace that hooks us in.

The psychedelia offered in “Hi Five” takes you through blurred landscapes with warped trajectories and slinky distortions. There are discerning accents, jittery drumming and fast bass walks set in motion with tonal purpose.

The clangorous, drum-saturated “Legitimacy Loop” introduces “F-U-C-K”, which - featuring the voice of Nathalie Sandtorv - combines streamlined and wrinkled textures. At one point we find deep saxophone figures and sustained keyboard clouds set against a mix of krautrock-like rhythms and experimental electronica, but at another stage there’s an ambient guitar wrapped in lo-fi surroundings.

The vocals and text by Jelena Kuljic inflames the agitated “King of Soap”, whose punk attitude is bolstered by Steidl. Commanding with authority from the drum kit, the latter's plan metamorphoses again on the closing title, “Long Live the Popes”, where the band explores groove with a funky temperament before turning to electronica and dark ambient.

Ego Kills is a place where free jazzers can enjoy a vast palette of sounds that are commonly associated with electronic dance music. It’s unconventional, complex stuff with a tight grip on dynamics and a screaming production.

Favorite Tracks:
03 - Butcher ► 06 - Chthulu ► 08 - F-U-C-K

Hank Roberts Sextet - Science of Love

July 21, 2021

Label: Sunnyside Records, 2021

Personnel - Hank Roberts: cello; Dana Lyn: violin; Brian Drye: trombone; Mike McGinnis: clarinet, soprano saxophone; Jacob sacks: piano; Vinnie Sperrazza: drums.

The distinguished cellist Hank Roberts, who marked the New York Downtown music scene with his artistically refined sound, makes a great return with Science of Love, an enjoyable body of work inspired by droves and featuring a multi-generational sextet of New York talents.

There are two freestanding pieces bookending the central 14-track suite titled “G”, namely, the opener “Sat/Sun Pa Tu X”, an expansion of the “Saturday/Sunday” suite from his 1993 album Little Motor People, and “205”, which closes out the album in a reflective and very much accessible chamber-pop mode. The former, however, is the one that causes more impact with an insouciant, vibrant swing that pulses through the group’s bloodstream. Pianist Jacob Sacks enters at a later time, but soon takes the lead, exposing a playfully articulated vocabulary. Then, it’s Roberts and violinist Dana Lyn who partner with the trombonist Brian Drye and the clarinetist Mike McGinnis, crisscrossing the rhythmic tapestry with elation, and creating a mood that recalls Charles Mingus. A clarinet solo paints a more sobering backdrop before taking us to the final cello musings.

The aforementioned suite is assembled with thematic-related frameworks that favor improvisation and creativity. One finds a generous dose of rock in Vinnie Sperrazza’s drumming on “G: The Sharp Peak of the Science of Love” as well as an allegro quality in the cello slogans. The charmer “G: Earth Sky Realms” is a beautifully brushed piece with pendular piano ostinatos and violin cries contributing to the subtle wistfulness that surrounds it.

The percussive and plucking techniques of “G: D23” invites us to imagine distant worlds, as it works toward a solid classical density. In turn, the more-invigorated “G: GLC Magnetic Floating Stripper” features McGinnis in a pungent flight of fancy on soprano over a 3/4 rhythmic flux. The three time feel is maintained on “G: 17” but things are softened up considerably here, just to ramp up again on “G: B45 L”, the longest track on the album at 12:44, which unfurls with Drye in the spotlight. This is before he starts a conversation with Roberts that culminates in a rhythmic dance with all members in it. The cellist puts on show a magnificent monologue before a mercurial final stage that involves a grooving passage, collective interplay and a propulsive backbeat.

Roberts will easily hook listeners with the tasteful blend of jazz, classical and improvisation that permeates his album.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Sat/Sun Pa Tu X ► 06 - G: Earth Sky Realms ► 12 - G: GLC Magnetic Floating Stripper

Matt Mitchell & Kate Gentile's Snark Horse

July 20, 2021

Label: Pi Recordings, 2021

Personnel - Matt Mitchell: piano; Kate Gentile: drums, percussion; Jon Irabagon: alto and soprano saxophones, Matt Nelson: tenor saxophone; Ben Gerstein: trombone; Davy Lazar: trumpet; Brandon Seabrook: guitar, banjo; Ava Mendoza: guitar; Kim Cass: bass, Mat Maneri: viola.

Snark Horse, the duo of pianist/keyboardist Matt Mitchell and drummer Kate Gentile, releases an epic 6 CD-box set that brims with astoundingly intricate rhythms and textures as well as plenty of freely improvised passages within a rigorous structural organization.

For this monumental opus composed of one-bar compositions and short electronic pieces, the twosome enlisted a collective of eight musicians who appear in various combinations across the album, ranging from duo to tentet (Snark Horsekestra). All these contributors, known for being constantly on the look for new experiences, have been playing with the duo since 2013.

It’s extremely hard to pick favorites from the extensive tracklist, but “Compartments/ ‘S Partial” threw me into its delightfully elliptical trajectories via saxophone/trombone interjections and explosive guitar maneuvers, all in a permanent musical connection and deep focus. Featuring a similar instrumentation and blooming with polyrhythmic wonder, “Igh/Dogmacile” dives deep into industriously mechanical motions. The great vibe of Mitchell’s “A Pouting Grimace” is reinforced here through the deft interplay between the pianist and the guitarist Brandon Seabrook. This piece is linked to “Greasy Puzzle”, a sort of mournful stirrer.

If “Trapezoids/Matching Tickles” opens with exciting drumming and features Jon Irabagon in absolute command of the altissimo register and extended techniques, then “Nudgelet”, with bassist Kim Cass aboard, probes prog-rock aesthetics with hints of electronica and lots of jazzy piano atop. Mitchell also jazzes up the fast paced “Glubz/Spelling Bad on Purpose”, where entrancing rhythms and glorious timbres are held down tight.

The fervent “Thing-Fact/Theoretical Muscle” has Irabagon and Gerstein producing lavishly with shaggy authority, whereas “Regular Falutin’” exudes a more exotic touch in the combination of Seabrook’s banjo with Mat Maneri’s viola over an entrancing 13/8 rhythm. The same pair operates in a different context alongside trumpeter Davy Lazar on “Mad Homonyms/Phex”.

You'll find unremitting odd meter everywhere. Hence, Gentile’s “F Tesselations/Chimeric Numbers” shows off the full Horsekestra grooving in five and seven, whereas “Mind Goggle/End of Something” develops in a slower nine, having Matt Nelson’s dark tenor timbres working as a perfect foil for Ava Mendoza’s atmospheric guitar.

Diversity is offered with the short electronic numbers, which include ritualistic paraphernalia (“Flock Adulation”), granular and glitchy vibes (“Pheromone Quiz”), spectral dissonance (“All Tall Ghosts”), and flickering, bloopy sounds (“Underblobb Sys”).

For all its ingenious conception and technical quality, this is essential listening for all modern music surfers whose waves range from microscopic precision to cosmic turbulence.

Favorite Tracks:
04 (CD1) - A Pouting Grimace/Greasy Puzzle ► 01 (CD2) - Trapezoids/Matching Tickles ► 08 (CD3) - Glubz/Spelling Bad on Purpose ► 02 (CD4) - F Tesselations/Chimeric Numbers ► 05 (CD5) - Mad Homonyms/Phex

Yoonmi Choi Trio - 7 Days

July 19, 2021

Label: Next Level, 2021

Personnel - Yoonmi Choi: piano; Myles Sloniker: bass; Samvel Sarkisyan: drums.

New York-based South Korean pianist, composer and musical director Yoonmi Choi makes a powerful debut with 7 Days, an album inspired by Michelangelo’s High Renaissance paintings of the Sistine Chapel. Assisted by the American bassist Myles Sloniker and the Dutch drummer Samvel Sarkisyan, she shapes her malleable, genre-bending piano playing in discerning ways, narrating the seven days of creation with an agile touch and movement coherence. Each composition adds new elements to the previous, opening slide doors to other realms where reflections of Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff as well as Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea and Keith Jarrett are detected.

Choi’s classical resources are fully on display on “1st Day”, where the flowing piano streams project sophistication. The stately chordal work here creates both emotion and tension, enjoying the proper accompaniment from the rhythmic foundation. Possessing a more outgoing essence, Sarkisyan is particularly in evidence here, but also on “2nd Day”, a rhythmically defiant piece in 7/8 that feels simultaneously bold and graceful. Among the knotty accents, you’ll find jazz and pop forms blending together, with hints of funk at the base.

Accessing swells of virtuosic lines, “3rd Day” is a Chick Corea-oriented odyssey with a grooving posture and a perfect integration of rhythmic and melodic passages. It shares some progressive elements with the bouncy “5th Day”, where the post-bop meets occasional Latin groove. Also showing the pianist’s dexterous technique and expression, “4th Day” is a rhapsodic classical waltz with cinematic aptitude and inventive changes in pace, rhythm and texture.

The trio’s crossover appeal is transported to the polyrhythmic “6th Day”, whose arrangement joins the energy of rock, the sumptuousness of jazz and the lightness of classical. The album ends graciously with the solo pianism of “7th Day”.

By not overstuffing her brightly-colored musical canvas, Choi creates ample space to breathe and harmonious development, and the emotions arise naturally. She’s a creative pianist; one to keep an eye on.

Favorite Tracks:
03 - 3rd Day ► 04 - 4th Day ► 05 - 5th Day

William Parker - Mayan Space Station

July 16, 2021

Label: AUM Fidelity, 2021

Personnel - William Parker: double bass; Ava Mendoza: electric guitar; Gerald Cleaver: drums.

Bassist, composer and bandleader William Parker has been at the forefront of the creative jazz scene for decades. His music and stunning bass playing keep high standards of quality whether he plays in small ensembles or big bands, and he never turns his back to innovation and spontaneous creativity.

One of his latest records, Mayan Space Station, immediately caught my ear. Comprising six improvised numbers that will attract fans of fleshed indie rock, free jazz and groove-centered music alike, the album features a fearless, progressive avant-jazz trio that includes the up-and-coming guitarist Ava Mendoza and the versatile, sought-after drummer Gerald Cleaver.

“Tabasco” opens the record with a lucid, dance-inviting groove containing thrashing bass plucks and occasional tumultuous drum fills. This serves as a sustain for the cathartic post-rock forays of Mendoza. Parker devises a more intricate groove for “Rocas Rojas”, where the anthemic distorted guitar and patterned mosaics of toms and cymbals gradually converge to a final psychedelic haze.

If “Domingo”, which accommodates a fluttery abstraction, goes from an unorthodox walking bass to a more perceptible and rounded groove with slick details and percussive moment, then “The Wall Tumbles Down” swings from the very beginning, paving the ground for a saturated guitar statement delivered with a country-rockish vibe and echoing some of the Led Zeppelin’s charisma. The latter piece evolves into moody territory with siren-laden ostinatos for a broodier sense of danger.

“Mayan Space Station”, whose title is a conduit for peace and inspiration that invites us to space traveling through music, is an absorbing shapeshifter where the excellent team of Parker and Cleaver works the rhythmic flow in many ways while changing directions. Their throbbing propulsion undergirds Mendoza’s electric shrieks, which, later on, wildly contrasts with Parker’s bowed bass. The taut drum chops are intensified and a groove in five takes us to the conclusion.

In comparison, “Canyons of Light” brings more atmospheric awe in its suspended first half, getting piercingly austere as it moves forward.

Parker’s new trio navigates high peaks and deep valleys with a riotously unpredictable temper and exploding energy. Check it out for yourself and feel the groove.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Tabasco ► 02 - Rocas Rojas ► 04 - Mayan Space Station

Altoizm - Altoizm

July 15, 2021

Label: AFAR Music, 2021

Personnel - Greg Ward: alto saxophone; Rajiv Halim: alto saxophone; Sharel Cassity: alto saxophone; Richard Johnson: piano; Jeremiah Hunt: bass; Michael Piolet: drums.

The brand-new Chicago-based sextet Altoizm! is spearheaded by three alto saxophonists of unbound talent: Greg Ward, Rajiv Halim and Sharel Cassity. The rhythm section that paves the way for these avid soloists is composed of pianist and music director Richard Johnson, bassist Jeremiah Hunt and drummer Michael Piolet.

The album seems intended as a celebration of tradition, and the collective harnesses its energy into rapid-fire soloing and tight interplay. As an illustration of what was said, the opening piece, “Cedar Groove”, glorifies the chord changes of Cedar Walton’s “Ugetsu” (a.k.a. “Fantasy in D”), whose incredible bounce had its peak in 1963 with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. Cassity penned this version with succinct Latin digressions and a new melody that propagates in unison. She maintains a similar mood and groove on “Thoroughbred”, whose swinging hard-bop is in reliance on the harmonic progression of Benny Golson’s “Stablemates”.

Halim’s bluesy “Bembe’s Kid” presents us with another magnetic groove drawn from a sub-Saharan African rhythm. Johnson’s adroit comping comes to the surface here and his improvisation is filled with lush and drive. The pianist brought two pieces into the album: the sensitive 4/4 ballad “The Time Has Come” and the brazen “Last Minute”, which bursts with searing horn exchanges over a swinging tapestry.

Ward’s “John Cotton” is a fiercely propulsive 2x16-bar fantasy in 3/4 with strong accentuations and an exuberantly happy disposition.

Only occasionally going beyond the expectable, the group shows to have both the compactness and dynamism required to belt out energy-filled tunes affiliated with past and present.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Cedar Groove ► 02 - Bembe’s Kids ► 07 - Last Minute

Gregg Belisle-Chi - Koi: Performing the Music of Tim Berne

July 14, 2021

Label: Relative Pitch Records, 2021

Personnel - Gregg Belisle-Chi: acoustic guitar.

Tackling the compositional intricacies of alto saxophonist Tim Berne on the acoustic guitar is definitely a huge challenge. But that circumstance didn’t intimidate the guitarist/composer Gregg Belisle-Chi, who, catching the excitement of Berne’s language, put his own artistic stamp on ten of his pieces. Due to the nature of his instrument, part of that language is retained and part is remodeled within new harmonic contexts. The album was mixed and mastered by David Torn, another guitarist and expert sound manipulator who knows Berne’s music very well.

With a memorable riff as an inspiration, “Chance” is soaked in brainy harmonic clusters at the same time that employs a combination of tense, spacious and dreamy tones. This piece was culled from Berne/Mitchell duo album Angel Dusk, just like “Reception” and “Starfish Blues”. The former boasts a melody that speaks for itself, while the latter takes the blues to another dimension. Yet, it doesn’t match the exquisiteness of “Middle Seat Blues”, which evolves beautifully until it reaches a grandiose, final climactic chord that is complemented with a trio of tapped harmonics.

Feeling more overtly abstract and ruminative, “Giant Squids” employs logic pointillism, metric complexity and staccato brilliance over the course of its labyrinthine path.

“Huh/Brokelyn”, retrieved from Hardcell’s 2005 album Feign, flows with incredibly affable melodies and chords that explore tone and drama with a sense of mystery, whereas “Huevos”, the opening piece of the 2002 Science Friction album, exudes a subtle sophistication affiliated with both erudite classical musings and contemporary tone poems.

In a coruscating positive form, Belisle-Chi often crosses the line between instinctive delicacy and bemusement. It’s all done architecturally and with honesty.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Chance ► 05 - Huh/Brokelyn ► 06 - Middle Seat Blues

Adrián Moncada 6tet - Inhabitable Imagination

July 12, 2021

Label: Self released, 2021

Personnel - Adrián Moncada: piano; Alistair Payne: trumpet; Federico Calcagno: bass clarinet; José Soares: alto saxophone; Pedro Ivo Ferreira: double bass; Nick Thessalonikefs: drums.

Spanish pianist and composer Adrián Moncada, who lives in Amsterdam since 2014, releases Inhabitable Imagination, an auspicious first album inspired by architecture and its multiple possibilities. The shifting landscapes and organic forms portrayed in the album’s seven originals find him in salutary communication with an international crew of likeminded partners that includes the Portuguese altoist José Soares, Scottish trumpeter Alistair Payne, Italian bass clarinetist Federico Calcagno, Brazilian double bassist Pedro Ivo Ferreira and Greek drummer Nick Thessalonikefs.

Introducing “The Bearable Heaviness of Being” with persuasive articulation, the pianist brings his instrument to preponderance with a focused arpeggiated flux at the base of a groove, in five, over which twisting horn lines develop in parallel. The compositional principle is confident and the theme statement evolves with admirable consistency. Payne shows fearlessness here when he climbs to the upper register after the conversational approach of the first moments.

The title cut undergoes a significant number of changes in its design, going from purely reflective to sanguinely grooving to balletically agile. The group still embraces a shady solemnity before concluding with a note of humor. Soares earns the spotlight here, etching fine lines on top of the rhythmic groove.

In a related move, “Emerging the Structure” blends rigorous instrumental organization and free will, having the inaugural fragmented pulsation stabilized for a skittering bass clarinet solo and ravishing exchanges between piano, trumpet and alto. “Platforming” also relishes with Calcagno’s eloquence on the bass clarinet, but prior to that, Soares and Payne engage in a duologue that soon leads to a contrapuntal ostinato-driven movement that includes the rest of the band. The bridge is made with a modal swinging passage that reminded me Andrew Hill’s intriguing settings.

Distinct in tone, the classical-influenced “Shadow of Tomorrow” is not so optimistic in its views, conjuring a prophetic foreboding that insists on low-pitched and buzzing sounds. Both the dark arco bass and left piano pedals contribute heavily to that effect. At cross purposes, the energy-filled “NGC 6357”, titled over a nebula located 8,000 years away from the Earth, is a post-bop ride tempered with descriptive personal narratives.

Moncada’s competent work is not just about structure and form but also interconnected ideas built with tension and release.