Amir ElSaffar Rivers of Sound- The Other Shore

September 9, 2021

Label: Outnote Records, 2021

Personnel - Amir ElSaffar: trumpet, vocals; Fabrizio Cassol: alto saxophone; Ole Mathisen: tenor and soprano saxophone; JD Parran: bass saxophone, clarinet; Mohamed Saleh: oboe, English horn; Miles Okazaki: guitar; Tareq Abboushi: buzuq; Tim Moore: dumbek, naqqarat, frame drums; Jason Adasiewicz: vibraphone; Zafer Tawil: oud, nay; Dana ElSaffar: joza, violin, viola; John Escreet: piano; Naseem Alatrash: cello; Rajna Swaminathan: mridangam; George Ziadeh: oud; Carlo De Rosa: acoustic bass; Nasheet Waits: drums.

Trumpeter, composer and bandleader Amir ElSaffar has been expressing his Iraqi-American heritage and artistic identity through successful albums that blend the traditional Iraqi maqam and modern jazz. The Other Shore, the highly anticipated follow-up to Not Two (New Amsterdam, 2017), marks the second time on record he's in the command of the 17-piece Rivers of Sound Orchestra, an extension of the Two Rivers Ensemble. There was one single change in its workforce - John Escreet sits in the piano chair that previously belonged to Craig Taborn.

The imaginative cross-cultural mysticism of “Dhuha” floats with ElSaffar chants and an exotic instrumentation where a robust versatility lurks behind the apparent languidness. This is materialized in a passage prodded by a groove in five where ostinatos serve as a filling during a saxophone solo. The trumpet detaches from its counterparts in the last section, and then the movement is slowed down until fading quietly.

“Transformations” boasts an initial 12-beat cycle bass-oud groove before juxtaposing full-fledged rhythms with a dancing perspective in mind; “Lightning Flash” adjusts the density of its passages by giving it a simultaneously elegant and brazenly energizing feel; and “Medmi” terminates the session in calm waves.

“Reaching Upward” is one of my favorite pieces, and its magic erupts with West classical splendor as the stringed instruments (oud, violin, buzuk) come to the fore. After that, a percolating rhythmic flux in five finds its way, welcoming the inside/outside maneuvers from Belgian altoist Fabrizio Cassol, the intricate chromaticism of guitarist Miles Okazaki, and the microtonal pitches of ElSaffar on trumpet. Just as exciting is the breezily asymmetric {17+16} “Ashaa”, whose arresting rhythm patterns help to create moments of rare beauty. The lutes stand out ahead of a nearly-funkified fusion. Bassist Carlo DeRosa shares his thoughts, and the piece ends brightly in five after a Middle Eastern dance where ElSaffar interacts with another horn player.

Imbued with passionate lyricism, this music feels both cerebral and freewheeling. Composition and improvisation play an equally important role and there’s plenty of good, hybrid sonorities for one’s listening pleasure.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Dhuha ► 03 - Reaching Upward ► 04 - Ashaa

Kirk Lightsey - I Will Never Stop Loving You

September 8, 2021

Label: Jojo Records, 2021

Personnel - Kirk Lightsey: piano.

The veteran Detroit-born pianist Kirk Lightsey who played with the legendary trumpeter Chet Baker and saxophonist Dexter Gordon, among many others, returns to the solo format with greater adherence to affection. Here, he devours not only post-bop tunes from Wayne Shorter and Tony Williams, but also an iconic hard-bop piece by Coltrane, a ballad penned by Phil Woods and another one he wrote himself and whose name gave this album its title. It’s worth to mention that all seven tunes were previously recorded by the pianist, most of them solo.

His sole composition to appear on this recording, the ballad “I’Will Never Stop Loving You”, can also be found on the 1993 reissue of his Isotope album (Criss Cross Jazz). Here, Lightsey shapes it with profound tenderness while exploring the timbral richness of his instrument.

The passion for the music of Wayne Shorter was evident in the early stages of his career, and he gives new interpretations to “Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum”, tackled with plenty of staccato moves as well as nimble phrasing and bluesy bends, “Infant Eyes”, whose interpretive soulfulness and abandon underscore his affinity for space and presence, and “Wild Flower”, which concludes the album with pulchritude and heart.

Coltrane’s “Giant Step” is not exceptional, and Tony Williams’ “Pee Wee” carries that type of disorienting harmonies that lets us afloat. Yet, “Goodbye Mr. Evans”, written by the versatile altoist Phil Woods in 1981 after the death of pianist Bill Evans, takes us from the haunting bass note that opens the tune to the harmonic webs traced by Lightsey with such a tactful sympathy.

Despite having in mind that every rendition brings something new to the setting, this work gives the impression to be a surplus addition to the reliable pianist’s discography.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum ► 04 - Infant Eyes ► 05 - Goodbye Mr. Evans

Kenny Garrett - Sounds From the Ancestors

September 7, 2021

Label: Mack Avenue Records, 2021

Personnel - Kenny Garrett: alto saxophone, electric piano, piano; Vernell Brown Jr.: piano; Corcoran Holt: bass; Ronald Bruner Jr.: drums; Rudy Bird: percussion, snare + Guests - Dwight Trible, Jean Baylor, Linny Smith, Sheherazade Holman, Chris Ashley Anthony: vocals; Maurice Brown: trumpet; Dreiser Durruthy: bata, vocals; Johnny Mercier: piano, organ, Fender Rhodes; Lenny White: snare; Pedrito Martinez: vocals and conga.

From the creative mind of Detroit-born altoist and composer Kenny Garrett comes a tremendously impactful album that, pulling from some deep ancestral West African sources, fuses elements of different genres and negotiates its inner contrasts. Garrett, who led memorable ensembles in the past, is backed here by the same core group that appeared on his previous work, Do Your Dance! (Mack Avenue, 2016). Sounds From the Ancestors is his 20th album as a leader.

Composed in 2019, “It’s Time to Come Home” opens the program with an Afro-Cuban tinge that is simultaneously propulsive and soothing. With the tune advancing at a waltzing pace, the saxophonist adopts a less expansive posture in terms of soloing but a more percussive and textural one in comparison with other pieces. Beautiful vocals by Jean Baylor and batá percussionist Dreiser Durruthy.

“Hargrove” is a soulful earworm, a groovy dedication to the late trumpeter Roy Hargrove, in which Garrett luxuriates in starry unisons and conversational exchanges with guest trumpeter Maurice Brown. He also nods to Coltrane’s spiritual hymn “A Love Supreme” via the vocal work of Linny Smith, Sheherazade Holman and Chris Ashley Anthony. More Coltrane is evoked on “What Was That?”, a post-bop illumination that serves as a perfect showcase for Garrett’s finely honed inside/outside playing.

As a lighted-up gospel proclamation, “When the Days Were Different” is enhanced by organ and vocals, while “For Art’s Sake”, a tribute to the drummers Art Blakey and Tony Allen, occurs under the Nigerian spell of Ronald Bruner’s syncopated Afrobeat. Before the final vamp, where drums and percussion intensify their playing, you may indulge in the deconstructive wallops that come out of the electric piano.

The exciting trajectory doesn’t stop here, and “Soldiers of the Fields/Soldats Des Champs”, composed for the musicians who fought to keep jazz alive and the Haitian soldiers who fought the French, contextualizes that revolutionary posture with a marching flow reinforced by the snares of Rudy Bird and Lenny White, rhythms from Guadeloupe as well as an otherworldly sax solo laid on top of a modal chord progression.

The title track is introduced with despondent balladic tones by Garrett on the piano, veering into an enthralling Yoruban rhythm that supports the chants of conguero Pedro Martinez and singer Dwight Trible. The piece ends as it began.

Carrying Garrett’s unmistakable signature and unique energy, Sounds From the Ancestors is unmissable, already deserving to be called ‘one of the best jazz records of the year’.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Hargrove ► 05 - What Was That? ► 06 - Soldiers of the Fields/Soldats Des Champs

Frank Kimbrough - Ancestors

September 2, 2021

Label: Sunnyside Records, 2021

Personnel - Frank Kimbrough: piano; Kirk Knuffke: cornet; Masa kamaguchi: bass.

American pianist/composer Frank Kimbrough passed away in December 2020, leaving the jazz scene missing not just his music but also his pedagogy and charisma. This posthumously released album recorded with the cornetist Kirk Knuffke and the bassist Masa Kamaguchi in 2017, leans toward the introspective and comprises seven of his original compositions, three improvised duos (two with Knuffke and one with Kamaguchi), and a piece written by his wife, the singer/pianist Maryanne de Prophetis.

“Waiting in Santander” gets off the ground in a transcendental suspension where everything feels very musical. Kimbrough actually wrote it in the Spanish city referred in the title while patiently waiting for a piano to arrive, but that frustration acquired a pacific temper here. This is the first of three numbers culled from his 2006 album Play (with Kamaguchi and the influential late drummer Paul Motian). The others are “Beginning”, a beautiful ballad whose enlightening melodies and harmonic movement recalls the drummer’s music, and “Jimmy G”, a poised blues written for clarinetist/saxophonist Jimmy Giuffre, which flows overtly with a disarming composure.

The delicate “November”, a highlight, reveals lyrical pianism and tender chords, woody sprawling bass notes and the warm brass sounds sliding over the harmonic tapestry. Taking into account that this was the first musical connection between the bassist and the cornetist, the natural playing between the threesome is excellent. “Over”, which takes the piquant flavors of Herbie Nichols’ style all over the place is a good example, as well as “Ancestors”, an old piece that celebrates Kimbrough’s deep Southern roots.

Following the haunting piano/cornet duo “Solid”, the record comes to an end with de Prophetis’ wistfully harmonized “All These Years”, a piece she wrote for her father.

Kimbrough’s sonic universe is tremendous. Considering he was a musician of rare touch and substance, that’s not surprising.

Favorite Tracks:
03 - November ► 07 - Beginning ► 09 - Over

Petter Eldh - Projekt Drums Vol. 1

August 31, 2021

Label: Edition Records, 2021

Personnel - Peter Eldh: acoustic and electric bass, guitars, synth, piano, Rhodes; Wanja Slavin: alto sax, flutes; Otis Sandsjo: tenor sax, clarinet; Johannes Lauer: trombone; Kit Downes: piano; Per Texas Johansson: flute; Jonas Kullhammer: flute; Kathrin Pechlof: harp; Mascha Juno: marimba, vibraphone, percussion; Niels Broos: keyboards, Rhodes; David Byrd Marrow: French horn; Reinier Baas: guitar + guest drummers Nate Wood, Eric Harland, Savannah Harris, Gard Nilssen, Richard Spaven and James Maddren.

Berlin-based Swedish bassist Petter Eldh has gained notoriety in the modern creative trio Punkt Vrt. Plastik, Django Bates Belovèd and Gard Nilssen’s Acoustic Unity. Perhaps less known are his skills as a producer, which stand out on this auspicious debut album called Projekt Drums Vol. 1. Each track features a particular drummer whose modern takes on rhythm and complex beats are at the epicenter of an extraordinary patchwork of genre-defying sounds created to show his love for drums and rhythm.

“Lorimer” kicks off with epic unisons but veers to stuttering melody, which is later challenged by countermelodies and prolonged synth-shimmer. The beat of guest drummer Savannah Harris is something. It pulsates with deft intricacy underneath the grid of heavy bass reverberation and the floating notes of flutist Per Texas Johansson. The perplexing collages denote many influences that include jazz, hip-hop, electronic and Brazilian music.

My favorite track is “Hawk Mountain”, whose left-field hip-hop strut is brought by Eric Harland. In addition to the concise yet exciting solos from German altoist Wanja Slavin and British pianist Kit Downes, there’s this catchy 21-beat-cycle melodic figure tossed off by Eldh on keyboard that puts a smile on our faces. He finishes the ride with a guitar and a gentle bossanova feel.

The incredible Nate Wood (from Kneebody) infuses lots of gravity on “Green Street” by virtue of elastic beat-laden fluxes that fluctuate tempo with mastery. His prog-rock and progressive jazz tendencies are corroborated by Otis Sandsjo on tenor saxophone and Slavin on flute.

The experimental aspect is always present and the simpatico “Gimsøy”, with master Gard Nilssen in absolute command of the drum set, brings that sense to the setting by exploring gracious sonorities with an interesting combination of harp, vibes, acoustic guitar and bowed bass. This melodious piece, occasionally disrupted by warped and psychedelic interjections, was inspired by the indie electronic sounds of Daedelus.

With an uneven pavement and stringent rhythmic skitter laid down by Richard Spaven, “Goods Yard” combines elements of neo-soul, funk and electronica, whereas “East Croydon” concludes the record with Reinier Baas’s guitar at the center of a playful composite of R&B, post-disco and a dollop of acid jazz redolent of Jamiroquai. The drummer on the job here is James Maddren.

Eldh assures stylistic variety and consistent energy throughout this multi-tiered creative project with a lot to be explored and discovered.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Lorimer ► 02 - Hawk Mountain ► 04 - Green Street

Kevin Sun - <3 Bird

August 30, 2021

Label: Endectomorph Music, 2021

Personnel - Kevin Sun: tenor saxophone, clarinet, sheng; Walter Stinson: bass; Matt Honor: drums + Adam O’Farrill: trumpet (#1,10-13); Max Light: guitar (#5,8,15); Christian Li: piano, Fender Rhodes (#2-4,6,9,13).

Saxophonist/composer Kevin Sun puts out his third album, reverentially paying tribute to Charlie Parker, a masterful jazz innovator and inevitable influence, in a dynamic work with ensemble sections that burst with contemporary life. Here, he fractures Parker’s bop ways with creativity, straying from the obvious paths of Bird’s original tunes by challenging them in several ways (pace, metric variation, new melody) but maintaining some aspects recognizable. The idea, which came up while in lockdown, allows spotlight features for the musicians - his habitual rhythm section of rising stars - bassist Walter Stinson and drummer Matt Honor - and three excellent guests that spice things up, expanding the timbral spectrum in a few tunes. They are trumpeter Adam O’Farrill, guitarist Max Light and pianist/keyboardist Christian Li.

Borrowing the harmony of “Confirmation”, “Greenlit” boasts fresh melodic lines and launches an impromptu folk-swing dance between tenor and trumpet. The attractive arrangement of “Adroitness Part II”, designed in virtue of the rhythm of “Dexterity”, has Li contributing to both the abstract and swinging parts, while Sun’s saxophone curls out in smoky breaths. The pianist’s work is further emphasized and got our appreciation on the exquisitely sculpted “Dovetail”, where juxtapositions of timbre create mysterious moods that go beyond Parker, even if the inspiration comes from his two studio improvisations on “Yardbird Suite”. Sun switches from clarinet to tenor for his solo, returning to the former for the head out.

In “Onomatopoeia”, an integration of Dizzy Gillespie’s “Be-Bop” and Parker’s “Segment”, guitarist Max Light joins Sun in parallel lines imbued with a clear bop feel, while on “Du Yi’s Choir” - a reimagination of “Dewey Square” - we feel their tensile presences in communication. This piece opens and closes with guitar and sheng (a Chinese polyphonic reed instrument), flowing breezily in between while probing fascinating rhythmic possibilities.

Rhythmic variations are all over the map, and whereas “Bigfoot” gets groovy with an exotic and polyrhythmic feel, “Schaaple From the Appel” prefers a more temperate, cool version with snappy brushwork by Honor and a tightly muted trumpet solo by O’Farrill. Everything sounds natural, never mechanic.

Knowing well the amounts of definition and intensity he wants for his music, Sun demonstrates his tremendous compositional acuity and flawless execution.

Favorite Tracks:
03 - Adroitness Part II ► 06 - Dovetail ► 08 - Du Yi’s Choir

Marc Johnson - Overpass

August 26, 2021

Label: ECM Records, 2021

Personnel - Marc Johnson: double bass.

Marc Johnson is a virtuoso of the bass whose immersive touch and tone are remarkable. The beauty and intensity of his playing made him a first-call sideman in projects of Stan Getz, Bill Evans, Peter Erskine, Gary Burton, John Abercrombie, Paul Motian, Joe Lovano and John Scofield, just to name a few. His peak as a leader was reached in the mid-1980s with the super quartet Bass Desires, but now he reaches new heights with his first solo album, Overpass, recorded in São Paulo in 2018.

Of the eight compositions that define the program, five are originals by the bassist and three are interpretations of classic jazz tunes. Johnson opens the record with two covers: Eddie Harris’ “Freedom Jazz Dance” is rendered with the sheer propulsion of its buoyant pedal-groove and the flawless articulation of the theme plus improvised segments. It is immediately followed by Miles Davis’ “Nardis”, a special tune for Johnson who played it with Bill Evans in the early 80s. Here, he explores the poetic possibilities of his instrument, finding an edgy refinement to the song that is completely engrossing.

There’s also a sublime take on “Love Theme From Spartacus”, whose slow, rubato tempo increases its weightlessness and deeply felt lyricism. But before that, the Eastern-tinged “Samurai Fly” creates impact with the timbre-filled appeal of arco bass overdubbing on top of a sturdy pizzicato. This is a rework of “Samurai Hee-Haw”, one of his most known compositions and opener of his tour-de-force 1986 ECM album Bass Desires.

“Life of Pai” is simultaneously reflective and majestic in the moves, whereas “Yin and Yang” combines languid, lush pizzicato and arco techniques that erupt from another Eastern modal center. Both the attacks and decaying sounds are set with a purpose.

Also fantastic is “And Strike Each Tuneful String”, a technically flawless primal dance inspired by a field recording from the 60s with music from Burundi. The bassist lets himself go and follow his natural instincts in this improvised piece with a short reprise of “Prayer Beads”, which originally lives on the second album of the Bass Desires quartet, Second Sight.

Johnson combines warmth, scope, melody and rhythm, sustaining plenty of interest in the course of eight pieces where his creative vision and maturity are on display.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Nardis ► 03 - Samurai Fly ► 04 - Love Theme From Spartacus

Brandee Younger - Somewhere Different

August 24, 2021

Label: Impulse! Records, 2021

Personnel - Brandee Younger: harp; Rashaan Carter: electric and acoustic bass; Allan Mednard: drums, percussion; Marcus Gilmore: drums, drum programming; Tarriona “Tank” Ball: vocals; Dezron Douglas: electric bass (#1); Ron Carter: acoustic bass (#6,7); Maurice Brown: trumpet (#2); Chelsea Baratz: saxophone (#1); Anne Drummond: flute (#1).

The extremely gifted harpist Brandee Younger reaches a broad spectrum of emotions with Somewhere Different, a collection of eight new tunes featuring a strong supporting group and notable guests. The album - produced by the bassist Dezron Douglas, who also plays in the opening track - pacifies the spirit and stimulates the senses.

The follow-up to Soul Awakening, hailed as one of the best albums of 2019 for many outlets (including JazzTrail), marks her debut release on the emblematic Impulse! Records. It begins with “Reclamation”, which incorporates the groove of funk and the muscularity of rock in distinct sections. The melodies of saxophonist Chelsea Baratz and flutist Anne Drummond fly in glowing consonance during the theme, and both of them stretch with eloquence after Younger, who navigates the lush backdrop designed by Douglas and drummer Allan Mednard with ease and grace.

Penned by Douglas, “Spirit U Will” is a free-spirited ode to Alice Coltrane and an undisturbed source of light. While the vamping bass groove delivered by Rahsaan Carter flows according to the harmonic progression, the guest trumpeter Maurice Brown is called to action, adhering to the general spirituality and joy with a synthesizing effect.

Douglas and Younger joined compositional forces during Covid lockdown and the result was not only the stylized title track, where a Latin vitality coexists with jazz and classical idioms and a hip-hop beat, but also “Olivia Benson”, a colorful fusion of R&B and jazz named after the TV series Law & Order’s character. Creativity flows through Younger and the listener is pulled in by the bass groove of Ron Carter, who also puts his mark on the ballad “Beautiful is Black”. Younger composed the latter tune with him in mind, influenced by Alice Coltrane’s masterpiece Ptah The El Daoud, and taking in consideration the unfounded white prejudice that oppresses Black people.

A phenomenal smoothness is achieved with “Pretend”, which is elevated by the vocals and romance-related lyrics of Tarriona Ball from the New Orleans-based R&B group Tank And The Bangas.

Somewhere Different provides a sweeping, trance-like listening experience.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Reclamation ► 02 - Spirit U Will ► 06 - Black is Beautiful

Caroline Davis - Portals, Volume 1: Mourning

August 23, 2021

Label: Sunnyside Records, 2021

Personnel - Caroline Davis: alto saxophone; Marquis Hill: trumpet; Julian Shore: piano; Chris Tordini: bass; Allan Mednard: drums; Mazz Swift: violin; Josh Henderson; violin; Joanna Mattrey: viola; Mariel Roberts: cello.

Alto saxophonist and composer Caroline Davis has emerged in recent years as one of the most sharply focused musicians. After investing in the fabulous trio Alula in 2019 - featuring keyboardist Matt Mitchell and drummer Greg Saunier - she returns with an excellent roster of players. Intertwining a jazz quintet with a pliant quartet of strings, they work through Davis’ 11 original cuts, which resulted from the mournful period after the passing of her often absent, workaholic father. The assessment of their difficult relationship, the recovering from the effects of trauma, and the process of healing are present throughout.

Taking inspiration from the rhythm of a quatrain from Omar Khayyam’s poem Rubáiyát, “Yesterday’s Seven Thousand Years” quickly assimilates a vibrant post-bop loaded with melodic ethos. The rhythm section - composed of pianist Julian Shore, bassist Chris Tordini and drummer Allan Mednard - is utterly supportive, but it’s the latter that lets us feel the burn of his chops during the piano solo. Before reinstating the theme, the quintet vamps to incorporate unisons from Davis and trumpeter Marquis Hill. Their brilliant tone and controlled attacks are also on display in the polyrhythmic “Acephalous Placebo”, which lucidly juxtaposes elements in 5/6 and 4/4 time.

The strings become salient on “Hop On Hop Off”, whose counterpoint, texture and color - especially during the tricky-metered theme - calls to mind some chamber music works. There’s a slower passage in five showcasing beautiful cello bowing from Mariel Roberts, who is later joined by a more optimistic violin pizzicato. In due course, we have exchanges between trumpet and saxophone. Similarly to this piece, “Highlighter Hearts” reflects memories of Davis’ father, shrouding the listeners in a mix of rapture and heartache. This number ends with a different atmosphere as if the saxophonist wants to look forward and move on.

If “How to Stop a Drop of Water from Evaporating” shudders with vast passion, then “Left” glints with sharp-edged observation. The former kicks off with violin on top of groovy drums, leading us to a matured orchestration that occurs in zippy fashion. Conversely, the latter focuses on the anxiety from being abandoned as a child, catalyzing those emotions via continual string fluxes, accents and turns in the rhythm, angular melody and deft interplay.

The record ends peacefully with “Wordliness and Non-Duality”, which is delicately woven by the combo with soft and warm layers in a perfect balance of colors.

This poignant, sometimes-riveting, well-orchestrated album shows how Davis uses her musical skills as tools for illustrating emotion.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Yesterday’s Seven Thousand Years ► 02 - Hop On Hop Off ► 08 - Left

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