Ches Smith - Interpret it Well

Label: Pyroclastic Records, 2022

Personnel - Ches Smith: drums, vibraphone; Mat Maneri: viola; Craig Taborn: piano; Bill Frisell: guitar.

Drummer, vibraphonist and composer Ches Smith is a necessary voice in today’s creative music scene, regardless of the context he operates. After collecting critical acclaim last year with his Vodou-inspired project We All Break, he returns to the minimally written, impeccably structured pieces that marked his ECM debut album The Bell, which featured violist Mat Maneri and pianist Craig Taborn. For Interpret it Well, his sophomore release on Pyroclastic Records, this trio is augmented with the natural talents and textural vastness of the great guitarist Bill Frisell.

Patiently built, the title cut is patterned with relaxed ostinatos at the outset, evolving to a passage that echoes playful guitar, tearful viola and cymbal washes. This happens before an elaborate solo piano mosaic deftly adorned with electronics. Deliciously warped sequences of electrified guitar and viola navigate a stratum of cyclic harmonies and dynamically sculpted drum sounds. It grows steadily until the climax is reached right before the end. 

Equally amazing is “Mixed Metaphor”, which, at 16:26 minutes, is the longest piece on the album. The self-possessed Frisell enters solo, describing idyllic landscapes with beauty. All the same, and almost furtively, an odd-metered groove forms in the background, supporting Maneri and Taborn's statements. There’s a change of groove in the final section that is well capable of surprising you with balanced flavors of avant-jazz, rock, and electronica. 

The resultant combination of sounds is awesome to behold, and comes to the fore during the colorful three-part suite “Clear Major”. Smith’s love for exquisite rhythm is mirrored here as the quartet explores thoughtful movements that fluctuate in tempo, texture and intensity. Taborn’s kinetic mesh plums and propels; Frisell’s harmonics have a huge dramatic impact; Maneri brings a lot of sentiment to the music; and Smith’s restless drum work is packed with energy. The narrative thrust of each player is simply remarkable.

“Morbid”, a gesture-driven piece, carries a doleful monochromatism at its core, whereas “I Need More” - playing with tempos that slide under our feet - denotes a credible affinity with the avant-garde while its theme slips over a defiant prog-rock-like tapestry. Subsequently, it dives into fluffy contemporary classical clouds. Labeling this music can be somewhat reductive of the wide open span of originality and stimulus proffered, but what’s important here is that Smith continues to expose his musical excellence with another exceptional and fully realized recording. And what a skilled instrumentalist and imaginative composer he is!

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Interpret it Well ► 03 - Mixed Metaphor ► 05 - Clear Major

Erik Friedlander - A Queens' Firefly

Label: Skipstone Records, 2022

Personnel - Erik Friedlander: cello; Uri Caine: piano; Mark Helias: bass; Ches Smith: drums.

Erik Friedlander is a resourceful New York-based cellist and composer with a one-of-a-kind style. His tremendous versatility makes him play avant-garde jazz, post-bop as well as chamber and world-influenced music with the same brilliancy and passion. Hence, collaborations in many different contexts with such greats as John Zorn, Dave Douglas, Marty Ehrlich, Wadada Leo Smith, and Fred Hersch, are not a surprise. 

If his previous outing, Sentinel (a trio effort with guitarist Ava Mendoza and drummer Diego Espinosa), was an agreeable breathe of fresh air, then this new recording, A Queens’ Firefly, pushes the envelope, working as an expansion of his 2018 album Artemisia. The cellist spearheads a fabulous quartet, The Throw, featuring pianist Uri Caine, bassist Mark Helias and drummer Ches Smith.

The title cut floats like a cloud, beginning a musical journey that unfolds with fascination. There’s a jazz and pop music lightness to it, with Helias, Caine and Friedlander proffering lovely solos. The following number, “Match Strikes”, defies that tranquility as the group charges with rhythmic boldness and intelligent counterpoint. The catchy propulsion here conveys both depth and urgency.

The groovy “Chandelier” adopts a crisp seven-note bass figure as its glowing carpet, whereas the gracefully orchestrated “Glimmer” goes from a well-intoned cello introduction (suggesting contemporary classical musing) to a 3/4 pop-rock drum flow, and then to tranquilizing balladic expressions. Groove and modulation are detectable, and the piece acquires a fusion adventurism. A similar impression appears on the rocking “The Fire In You”, which serves as the album’s closing track.

Friedlander keeps the pocket wide on “Aurora”, a transfixing cut where the group indulge in avant-garde freedoms. With its excellent theme and odd meter, the piece plays like a folk-rock dance from a distant world. A Queens’ Firefly is an exciting album in many ways, and Friedlander’s fantastic compositions seemed to have encouraged his cohorts to play them with gusto.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Match Strikes ► 04 - Glimmer ► 06 - Aurora

Yuko Fujiyama / Graham Haynes / Ikue Mori - Quiet Passion

Label: Intakt Records, 2022

Personnel - Yuko Fujiyama: piano, voice; Graham Haynes: cornet, electronics; Ikue Mori: electronics.

The classically-trained Japanese avant-garde pianist and improviser Yuko Fujiyama returns to the records after a four-year hiatus. Unlike many of her peers from the New York's downtown scene, she’s not a compulsive record-maker, but always brings strangely appealing attributes into her music. Adding to a meager discography, Quiet Passion consists of piano solos, duets, and trio efforts with co-workers, the American cornetist Graham Haynes and the Japanese electronics expert Ikue Mori.

The free-leaning set of tracks is launched with “Prologue”, where the initial intriguing mood - established by a piercing trumpet blow, amorphous piano whirls and sound manipulation - soon transforms into a less ambiguous design via oriented melodies and softer, if haunting, arpeggiated piano. Both “In Sadness” and “Korikaesu” are trio experiences containing enunciations of poems by Shuntaro Tanikawa. The latter piece is particularly interesting, starting with a dedicated piano motif that evolves into low-pitched patterns. Haynes then takes the front row, exploring timbres as he ekes out lachrymose lines and penetrating long notes.

Delivered with thoughtful precision, “Agitato” is a thunderous yet sophisticated piano-electronics piece that shows Fujiyama's love for Cecil Taylor’s atonalities. Also rendered in this duo format, “Leggiero” marriages wrangling piano staccatos and spatial digital modules, taking us to a satisfying narrative conclusion. The solo piano pieces stand out due to Fujiyama’s creative freedom and understanding of the keyboard range. She probes impeccable intervals, parallel movements, and offbeat rhythmic fluxes on “Piano Solo I”, whereas “Piano Solo II”, being shorter in duration, sparkles with vivid expression.

The trio’s clinical delineations brim with possibility, and “Improvisational Suite” offers both bustling dynamism and contemplative reverie. The three-part title track, which takes the album to a conclusion, demonstrates an inward lyricism rather than any type of dry mechanics. “Quiet Passion I” is a slow cornet-piano dance with no room for eccentricity; “Quiet Passion II” is a slightly eerie Fujiyama/Mori duet with lugubrious tones; and “Quiet Passion III” matches subtle abstraction with emotional depth while the trio describes strange places, ambiences and feelings.

With plenty of freedom and ornamentation in its sonic design, but never to the point of fussiness, this is high-quality avant-garde jazz that deserves to be heard. 

Favorite Tracks: 
03 - Korikaesu ► 05 - Agitato ► 07 - Piano Solo I

Miles Okazaki - Thisness

Label: Pi Recordings, 2022

Personnel - Miles Okazaki: guitar, vocals, robots; Matt Mitchell: piano, Fender Rhodes, Prophet-6; Anthony Tidd: electric bass; Sean Rickman: drums.

Thisness is the third installment of Trickster, a stellar quartet led by the virtuosic guitarist Miles Okazaki and featuring keyboardist Matt Mitchell, bassist Anthony Tidd and drummer Sean Rickman. What they do here is simply mind-blowing, adding a compelling new dimension to the guitar-keys-bass-drums story by making complex music sound phenomenally natural. The bandleader, who has been playing a vital role in the adventurous jazz scene since the mid 2000s, took inspiration from a particular watercolor by his painter mother Linda Okazaki, the writings on Surrealism by the historian Robin D.G. Kelley, architectural concepts from producer David Breskin, and the poetry of space-jazzist Sun Ra. The four movements brought by this psychedelic jazz outfit are prescribed with the following motivational statement: “In some far off place, years in space, I’ll build a world and wait for you.” 

The opener, “In Some Far Off Place”, serves its surreal purposes by showing off an unhurried, breathy, and dreamy flow. Okazaki’s guitar artistry, rooted in progressive jazz-funk, is extended here to a mix of Brazilian and fusion sounds. The unobtrusive vocals, recalling some recordings of the Pat Metheny Group, soar on top of an intensely funkified texture, and the piece becomes edgier near the end via some effective rhythmic mutations.

“Years in Space” brims with entrancing wah-wah sounds and groovy guitar vibes, presenting funk elasticity on the bass and drums, and coming out with pianistic brilliance, whether in the colors infused in the chords or single-note courses. Everything is balanced to the core. The flux decelerates to a lushly harmonic 12-beat cycle delivered at medium speed, and the piece is completed with a neat tussle between piano and guitar.

Despite plunging into this enigmatic world of sounds, this recording is pretty accessible, conjuring imaginary scenic views that suggest color, tone, shape and texture. That’s the case with “I’ll Build a World”, where bop-inflected lines laid down on top of a drum’n’bass net provide frissons of wit and excitement. Here, Rickman adds a restless charge to his drumming.

Exhibiting a full-wooded bass statement right at the beginning, “And Wait For You” brings this urgent funky cast that combines polyrhythmic elements into a subversive catchy sound. The keyboard effects are great, with all four musicians displaying a masterful control of time and texture. Disarming and triumphant with its advanced level of sophistication, Thisness is Okazaki’s masterpiece. An unmissable treat.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - In Some Far Off Place ► 03 - I’ll Build a World ► 04 - And Wait For you

Eric Wyatt - A Song of Hope

Label: Whaling City Sound, 2022

Personnel - Eric Wyatt: tenor saxophone; Theo Crocker: trumpet; Chris Lowery: trumpet; Clifton Anderson: trombone; Samara Joy: voice/vocals; Donald Vega: piano; Eric Wheeler: bass; Mike Boone: bass; Mekhi Boone: drums; Jeff ‘Tain’ Watts: drums; Khalil Kwame Bell: percussion.

Saxophonist and composer Eric Wyatt is a Brooklyn native who happens to be the godson of the legendary Sonny Rollins. That fact naturally brings the jazz giant’s influence into his music, but doesn’t affect the merit of his sound and compositions. His recently released recording, A Song of Hope, is a mesmerizing, stylistically expanded follow-up to the previous The Golden Rule: For Sonny (WCS, 2019).

Wyatt penned his adventurous originals with the excellent drummer Jeff ‘Tain’ Watts in mind, who joins him in two duets and partners with bassist Eric Wheeler and pianist Donald Vega in the rhythm section. In the frontline, he welcomes trumpeters Theo Crocker and Chris Lowery for selected cuts. The group, varying in size, also features the prominent vocalist Samara Joy on Sting’s “Fragile”, here beautifully rendered in an unforced 4/4 rhythm, and “Say Her Name”, a lament for Breonna Taylor. The work of percussionist Khalil Kwame Bell is in evidence on the former piece and on the infectious, Latin-tinged “Sunset Park Bonita”, as well as on Lowery’s “Fur Live”, a cruising, riff-permeated crossover number that articulates soul jazz and Latin rhythms.

The title cut and opener, “A Song of Hope”, is a medium-fast 3/4 post-bop delight that, channeling Joe Henderson, Sonny Rollins, and John Coltrane all at once, radiates an incredible sound, energy, and optimism. Wyatt and Vega alternate bars after making our heads spin with individual solos. Equally waltzing with a churning rhythm, “Chance” doesn’t carry the force and vitality of the lilting “One 4 Hakim”, a celebratory post-bop inflection. At an early improvisational stage, it is Vega who stands out with oblique runs and fine rhythmic ideas, but then we have the bandleader blowing vigorously over the sole rhythmic support of Watt’s drums.

The energetic “Blues for RH”, a dedication to the late trumpeter Roy Hargrove, thrives with Crocker’s focused trumpet paired up with the saxophone on the theme, segueing into soulful solos by all members of the quintet. Adding a special vibe to the traditional jazz lineage, Wyatt shows his love for the music of Coltrane and McCoy Tyner by tackling their “Central Park West” and “Contemplation”, respectively. The latter propulsive number, set in motion with an irresistible hard driving tempo, provides plenty of explosive power. Both these tunes exceptionally present bassist Mike Boone, well locked in with his 14-year-old drummer son, Mekhi. 

Highly recommended for both traditional and modern jazz appreciators, this album sounds tremendously confident and passionate, giving a good glimpse of Wyatt’s abilities as a composer and soloist.

Favorite Tracks: 
01 - A Song of Hope ► 06 - One 4 Hakim ► 11 - Contemplation

Litterjug - Litterjug

Label: Gotta Let it Out Records, 2022

Personnel - Andrius Dereviacenko: tenor saxophone, clarinet; Asger Thomsen: bass; Szymon Gasiorek: drums.

Litterjug is the Copenhagen-based jazz trash trio of Lithuanian saxophonist Andrius Dereviacenko, Danish bassist Asger Thomsen (a member of Mia Dyberg Trio) and Polish drummer Szymon Gasiorek. On their debut album, the trio offers seven tracks where nothing is explored for too long, but everything is mounted rationally to incorporate catchy avant-garde jazz themes, rock-encouraged motions, and crack improvisation. 

In the two first cuts, “Usurpator” and “Boffel”, they prove to be great listeners as they interact with resolve and abandon alike. Whereas the former number blooms with accented riffs before growing into something playfully noisier, the latter is curled with wit in the head, evoking Ornette Coleman and Dewey Redman, and featuring a bass solo over recycled snare drum rattles. The rhythm section has the ability to lock in with rhythmic coordination, and that’s pretty evident on “Projektil”, an entrancingly unsettling modern creative piece that begins with the dreary stretching and scratching of bowed bass, and ends in a danceable mix of dark electronic and post-punk revival.

“Guitar” has angular staccato melodies filtered through a haze of art-rock panache, handing over changes of rhythm whose ambiance goes from zippy to reflective. In turn, “Litterjug” feels like a controlled experimentation with variegated dynamics. Although not mandatory, this is an interesting album within the contemporary sax-bass-drums configuration.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Usurpator ► 02 - Boffel ► 05 - Projektil

Potsa Lotsa XL & Youjin Sung - Gaya

Label: Trouble in the East Records, 2022

Personnel - Silke Eberhard: alto saxophone; Patrick Braun: tenor saxophone, clarinet; Nikolaus Neuser: trumpet; Gerhard Gschlößl: trombone; Jürgen Kupke: clarinet; Taiko Saito: vibraphone; Antonis Anissegos; piano; Johannes Fink: cello; Igor Spallati: bass; Kay Lübke: drums. Guest - Youjin Sung: Korean gayageum.

Lasting less than 30 minutes, this five-track recording by the group Potsa Lotsa, the brainchild of Berlin-based saxophonist and composer Silke Eberhard, comprises textures and moods that are like torchbearers for a warm East-West cross-pollination. The group was formed in 2010 as a quartet to perform the music of Eric Dolphy, but here it's expanded into its 10-piece version. The music in Gaya was written with the Korean gayageum player Youjin Sung in mind, revealing Eberhard’s fascination for these marvelous sounds while exploring the harmonic possibilities of that instrument.

With “Hana”, she gracefully bridges these worlds with smooth changes of tempo, primarily conjuring up mysterious tones, and then expanding the sonic palette with specific detail as Sung takes the lead, followed by Taiko Sato on vibraphone and Nikolaus Neuser on trumpet.

Denoting sophistication in the arrangement, “Ned” sets up its introductory section with saxophone and bowed gayageum, becoming groovy, propulsive, and polyrhythmic as the sequences unfold. The one stepping forward and claiming a spotlight moment here is the trombonist Gerhard Gschlößl, member of the avant-garde jazz outfit Gulf(h) of Berlin.

The ensemble shows not to be afraid of unorthodoxy and quite some dissonance while performing “Dul”, which, bolstered by the dynamic microtonal plucks of the Korean guest, makes for a singular, somewhat playful experience. “Sed” is another rhythmically interesting narrative told with a finely calibrated instrumentation and contrapuntal expertise. A mix of urgency and repose is created, with the saxophonists grabbing the soloing time. Eberhard is particularly effusive in her melodic jabs, flanked by scathing cello attacks and nervy piano whirls. Listening to this record is like traveling to distant places. The landscapes evoked are beautiful.

Favorite Tracks: 
01 - Hana ► 03 - Sed ► 04 - Ned

Jon Balke / Siwan - Hafla

Label: ECM Records, 2022

Personnel - Jon Balke: keyboards, electronics, tombak; Mona Boutchebak: vocals, kwitra; Derya Turkan: kemence; Bjarte Eike: baroque violin; Helge Norbakken: percussion; Pedram Khavar Zamini: tombak; Per Buhre: vocals, viola + Barokksolistene (string ensemble)

Norwegian avant-garde keyboardist and composer Jon Balke returns to his world music-influenced project Siwan after an interesting solo album released in 2020 called Discourses. Following up the releases of Siwan in 2009 and Nahnou Houm in 2017, Hafla marks his third outing with this international collective, which hybridizes baroque, Andalusian and improvised music with dazzling originality.

Working with the words of 11th-century Andalusian poet Wallada bint al-Mustafki, the ensemble steps into world fusion erudition with the hypnotic “Terraquab”, narrated by the Algerian singer Mona Boutchebak. The versatile vocalist sings in Arabic and Andalusian Spanish on “Arrihu Aqwadu Ma Yakunu Li-Annaha”, where evocative strings fill the spaces left by her voice. 

A trio of pieces delivered with a three time feel and relevant arrangements catch the ear. They are “Enamorado de Jupiter”, where the kemence of Derya Turkan stands out; “Saeta”, an instrumental number with aesthetic contrapuntal discernment; and “Uquallibu”, a poetic stunner entrancingly described with restrained dynamic range and bass lines that shimmer rather than pulse.

Faithful to his principle, Balke celebrates the concept of coexistence and cooperation between different people with an elegant intersection of musical cultures. “Linea Oscura” emerges with a spellbinding Middle Eastern tinge, being propelled by the incredibly rhythmic carpet laid down by percussionists Helge Norbakken and Pedram Khavar Zamini. Built with intimate detail, “Mirada Furtiva” showcases the capacity of Boutchabek, who composed it, to bring together the voice and the Algerian lute into harmonious consonance. Here, Balke provides a surprising counterpane of enveloping keyboard. The variations might seem minimal, but “Visita” carries a much more commercial bait than the dramatic lament “Is There No Way” (sung by violist Per Buhre), or the cinematic impressionism of “Wadadtu”.

All things considered, Hafla won’t necessarily have an impact on everyone, but that doesn’t lessen the discipline and significance of Balke’s achievement.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Enamorado de Jupiter ► 07 - Linea Oscura ► 09 - Uquallibu

Survival Unit III - The Art of Flight: for Alvin Fielder

Label: Astral Spirits Records / Instigation Records, 2022

Personnel - Joe McPhee: tenor saxophone, pocket trumpet; Fred Lonberg-Holm: cello; Michael Zerang: percussion. 

Recorded at the New Orleans Jazz Museum during the 2018 Instigation Festival, The Art of Flight is Survival Unit III’s tip of the hat to the late drummer Alvin Fielder, who was a charter member of the AACM and Black Arts Music Society. This powerhouse triangular outfit, which first recorded in 2006 (album Don’t Postpone Joy), is fronted by multireedist Joe McPhee and features the Chicagoan rhythm section of cellist Fredrick Lonberg-Holm and drummer Michael Zerang. 

The new album comprises five parts, the first of which clocks in at over 13 minutes, slowly building momentum with an impeccable sense of direction. It kicks off with crying cello whines and the incisive pocket trumpet of McPhee, who later switches to tenor sax in order to offer moments of true, sober melody over the brushed patterns of Zerang. The airy tones become denser at a later stage as the trio goes off into improvisational wilds.

“Part 2” places a powerful motif at the center, and the trio sets it ablaze while rubbing around its edges. Likewise, the riff-based “Part 5” has everyone embracing a particular rhythmic figure, remaining in a state of persuasive, asynchronous communication. Sculpted with free jazz mechanisms that include ferocious attacks and indomitable energy, this piece becomes more fervent with the time. 

“Part 3” is soulful yet intensely adventurous, with a tenor intro that oozes spiritual and folk meaning. The emotions are at the edge when McPhee growls into the horn, searching for a haunting effect, and then Lonberg-Holm drives his cello with unremitting uniformity in texture. This is all paved with tension-filled percussion, and, subsequently, there’s a more ambiguous passage with cello scrapes and metallic sounds. This is the kind of trio that dives into the music with no fear of the outcome. Their exploration is innate as they stretch into sonic arenas of their own choosing.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Part 1 ► 03 - Part 3 ► 05 - Part 5

Chad Fowler / Matthew Shipp - Old Stories

Label: Mahakala Records, 2022

Personnel - Chad Fowler: stritch, saxello; Matthew Shipp: piano.

Arkansas-based saxophonist Chad Fowler and the stalwart avant pianist Matthew Shipp, a key figure of the New York’s downtown scene, are two creative spirits who gathered recently to record their first duo record. The format is challenging for several reasons, but Old Stories, which unfolds in 14 chapters, puts on display an interesting chemistry between the twosome.

Skewed, wailing saxophone lines and well-measured piano textures immediately cook a stew of poignancy, fervor, lyricism and, occasionally, delirium on “Chapter I”. Employing Southern brushstrokes over a dimensional jazz canvas, “Chapter VII” and “Chapter VIII” (the only piece in which Fowler plays the saxello) diverge from the lucid call-and-response methodology of “Chapter II”, which extracts a certain dancing quality from the playfulness adopted. More reflective in nature, “Chapter III” is fueled by a sequence of staccato strokes near the end, whereas “Chapter IV” is an avant-blues led to nearly psychosis.

Fowler blows the saxophone with a constantly fervent expression that favors dramatic higher tones. It sounds great and is suitable for a period of time. Yet, I felt that most of the cuts ended up in the same alleys, making the listening a bit predictable. In my perception, eight to nine tracks would have been ideal. Also, instead of following an almost uninterrupted interplay (nonetheless taken to good places in “Chapter XIII” through highly motivic sequences), the disc would have benefitted greatly with some more room for solo piano and solo saxophone sections. 

That being said, one can still find great joy in pieces such as “Chapter VI”, which rocks and swings with the duo in close communication, and “Chapter X”, where the atmosphere of the straighter extremities is disrupted by the ferocious, warped shoutouts of the middle section. Old Stories may be an experimentation in need of different heartbeats, but audacity within the narrative construction remains a fact.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Chapter I ► 02 - Chapter II ► 06 - Chapter VI

Mike Holober & Balancing Act - Don't Let Go

Label: Sunnyside Records, 2022

Personnel - Mike Holober: piano; Dick Oatts: alto and soprano saxophone, flute;  Jason Rigby: tenor saxophone, clarinets; Marvin Stamm: trumpet, flugelhorn; Mark Patterson: trombone; Jamile: vocals; Mike McGuirk: bass; Dennis Mackrel: drums.

The New York-based pianist, composer and arranger Mike Holober structured a 14-part song-cycle that explores the nuances and complexities of hope in the current social, political and environmental realities of our times. His new double album, Don’t Let Go, was recorded live at Harlem’s Aaron Davis Hall (located on the campus of The City College of New York), and features his eight-piece constellation Balancing Act, which comprises an untouchable four-horn frontline (with saxophonists Dick Oatts and Jason Rigby, trumpeter Marvin Stamm, and trombonist Mark Patterson), fresh vocals (by Jamile) and a renewed rhythm section of piano, bass and drums (Holober, Mike McGuirk and Dennis Mackrel, respectively).

Holober appears in the driving seat of the opening piece, “Breathe Deep”, operating under his own steam while knitting together jazz and classical idioms. This solo aperture leads directly to “Morning Hope”, a ear-catching song with affirmative lyrics and fine solos from bass and trumpet. Brazilian singer Jamile is particularly outstanding on the latter, but her versatility is also brought into “I Wonder”, a go-ahead rockish number where she balances technical accuracy with melodic puissance, as well as into the groovy and polyrhythmic “Necessary”, in which she adopts a staccato-style redolent of Dee Dee Bridgewater. In this last-mentioned piece, one also spots an inspired tenor on the run followed by trombone within reach.

The straight-to-the-gut “Kiss the Ground” is tastefully mounted at a medium-fast tempo, with Oatts carving his way on the soprano with a diffuse language that covers a wide swath of Coltranean spells. There's also Mackrel, who shows his facility around the kit through an expansive drum solo. In turn, the mellower “Four-Letter Words” is spiffed up by Rigby’s mesmeric chromatic moves as part of his deft tenor runs. He and Oatts shine on “Touch the Sky”, a rapturous post-bop fantasy soaked in tradition, which also brings the conversational abilities of Holober and Stamm to a closer communication. 

The latter piece is one of the most exciting of the album, but if you fancy softer moods, then the gentle waltz “Smile Slow” and the bossa nova empathy of “Letting Go” are there to make your day. This is an interesting and consolidated return of Holober’s Balancing Act.

Favorite Tracks:
04 - Kiss the Ground ► 07 - Necessary ► 13 - Touch the Sky

Tord Gustavsen Trio - Opening

Label: ECM Records, 2022

Personnel - Tord Gustavsen: piano, electronics; Steinar Raknes: double bass, electronics; Jarle Vespestad: drums.

As a pianist and composer, Tord Gustavsen heeds an amiable, reflective music, whose passages are full of feeling. For his ninth ECM outing, Opening, he’s seen at the helm of a cohesive Norwegian trio rounded out by bassist Steinar Raknes, who joins him for the very first time on record, and drummer Jarle Vespestad, a long-time collaborator who has followed him since his debut, Changing Places (ECM, 2003).

The opening track, “The Circle”, came to Gustavsen like a gift while he was sitting at the piano. The triangular arrangement of sounds feels light as feathers, merge beautifully together while forming a tone poem composed of majestic harmony and affecting melody. More ambiguous and exploratory in the search, “Findings”, which attaches the Swedish folk song “Visa Fran Rattvik” at the end, takes us directly to the title track, where the atmospheric vein is kept, yet perhaps with a bit more gravitas. “The Longing” is also a short meditation in 3/4 time, an equivalent to a warm beam of light traveling with a mellow gentleness.

The literate, if mournful, “Helensburgh Tango” features Raknes soloing with a guitar-like treble approach that expands the scope of frequencies, having Vespestad’s coruscating snare flashes emerging from the bottom. The bassist employs a similar methodology on two other numbers: “Re-Opening”, which fashions a series of ostinatos and silences within a looping sequence that manifests sadness and beauty alike; and “Ritual”, whose change of ambience implies further mystery with a fusion style that admits bass cries (I would swear this was an electric guitar) and muted piano notes on the lower register.

Contrasting with the latter tune, “Stream” evokes a vast sea of tranquility. The bass breathes deeply, opening spaces for the lyrical piano, which floats atop the spacious brushwork. This candid exercise accommodates a tuneful bass improvisation declared with a refined diction. The album closes out with two Norwegian folk tunes: Gveirr Tveitt’s “Fløytelåt”, a rubato hymnal embrace, and Egil Hovland’s tactfully brushed “Vær sterk, min sjel”. With emotional appeal, Gustavsen’s excellent working trio engulfs the listeners in its peaceful airiness. 

Favorite Tracks:
01 - The Circle ► 07 - Re-Opening ► 09 - Stream

Satoko Fujii / Joe Fonda - Thread of Light

Label: FSR Records, 2022

Personnel - Satoko Fujii: piano; Joe Fonda: bass, cello, flute.

Thread of Light, the fifth collaboration between the prolific Japanese pianist Satoko Fujii and American bassist Joe Fonda was recorded separately in their respective homes of Kobe and New York during the pandemic. The conceptual idea for this record came from the bassist, after listening to Fujii’s piano solo pieces on bandcamp. He would complement the pianist’s vibes and feelings according to his own perception of the music, and the result was eight improvised duets and two solo numbers, one by each musician.

Sober and tempered in tone, “Kochi” is a solid opener where the duo is clearly on the same wavelength. Fonda added wafting bass plucks and intentional sliding motions to Fujii’s majestic piano playing, and the unification of their sounds - whether spacious or compact - is always treated with tasteful refinement. More electrifying, “Fallen Leaves Dance” has Fujii offering hasty runs and a low-pitched groove that welcomes Fonda’s unstoppable fretless rambles. This systematically kinetic interplay veers completely with the next track, “Reflection”, whose experimental world of mystery captures speculative tones through the use of prepared piano, extended techniques, and a fine combination of creeping pizzicato and noir arco bass legato. The latter piece is tonally related to the austere “Between Blue Sky and Cold Water”, where Fonda plays cello. In this part, an ominous stillness comes out on top.

Mostly designed with canny single notes, “Anticipating” is turned into a polyrhythmic dance for two, with merely sparse harmonic fragments. In turn, “Wind Sound” is an atmospheric exertion containing contemplative flute lines in opposition to the ringing and metallic sounds of the prepared piano. This avant-garde setting arises curiosity in the way the musicians move through sound and texture, but the solo pieces by each don’t fall behind. Fonda’s solo delivery, called “My Song”, shows he’s a melodicist capable of taming angular impulses with a tremendous beauty. For her part, Fujii tackles her radiant “Winter Sunshine” with an indelible folk connotation and remarkable rhythmic agility. By turns, the album’s moodiness transfixes and beguiles. 

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Kochi ► 02 - Fallen Leaves Dance ► 03 - Reflection

Myra Melford - For the Love of Fire and Water

Label: RogueArt, 2022

Personnel - Myra Medford: piano, melodica; Ingrid Laubrock: tenor and soprano saxophone; Mary Halvorson: guitar; Tomeka Reid: cello; Susie Ibarra: drums, percussion.

The intrepid pianist/composer Myra Melford, a renowned bandleader of great integrity and creativity, gathered an all-woman quintet of unquestionable value and stark determination for this outing on the Paris-based label RogueArt. The idea of joining this group harks back to 2019, at the occasion of a residency at The Stone in New York. This meeting of musical minds with a true affinity for contemporary sonics and the avant-garde, handles 10 movements inspired by the work of American painter Cy Twombly.

The first movement follows a layered sequence that, beginning with solo piano interlocks (later turned deep-toned patterned movement), is gradually garnished with brisk then ruminant cello attacks, talkative drums overflowing with timbral richness, angular soprano wittiness, and effect-soaked guitar, which ends the piece with an emotionally vivid sort of scale. The crisp low-pitched groove designed by the bandleader continues in “II”, getting the best response from Susie Ibarra, an unobtrusive drummer of cultivated taste. Ingrid Laubrock’s crotchety saxophone goes hand in hand with Mary Halvorson’s lines here, but on “III” they depart in different directions as they toss up pungent phrases while winding around each other. The pair then withdraw from the spotlight to give place to a piano/cello/drums fantasy imbued with celerity and mystery.

Whereas “IV” carries a gentle chamber feel adorned by Ibarra’s detuned Filipino gongs, “V” - a seemingly telepathic duet between piano and saxophone - is a forward-seeking experimentation where Laubrock creates abrupt exclamations, snorting noises, swift runs, and jagged contortions all over the horn.

Fantastically articulated, “VII” brings Halvorson’s disconcerting playfulness to a shinning spot, well above Tomeka Reid’s cello plucks and Ibarra’s solid-rock rhythm. “IX” is an offbeat inspiration with everyone involved; it starts loose until it gets tight, later warping into an unsettled rhythmic propulsion topped with wild instrumental flurries. The disc comes to a close with “X”, a harmonious, candle-lit chorale.

This is a stunning debut for Melford’s new quintet. Anyone with a fondness for this kind of sound should find a lot to enjoy here.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - II ► 05 - V ► 09 - IX 

Dave Gisler Trio with Jaimie Branch and David Murray - See You Out There

Label: Intakt Records, 2022

Personnel - Dave Gisler: guitar; Raffaele Bossard: bass; Lionel Friedli: drums; David Murray: tenor saxophone; Jaimie Branch: trumpet.

The extroverted Swiss trio led by guitarist Dave Gisler is powerfully augmented here with the wealth of experience and blaze brought by saxophonist David Murray and the creative musical sensibilities of trumpeter Jaimie Branch. Even probing other moods, the stylistic predominance on the trio’s third outing, See You Out There,  can be specified as acute avant-jazz meets raw-boned punk rock.

The boisterous opener, “Bastards on the Run”, ensures an explosive start. Played at a blistering tempo, the piece shows off an aggressive and pliable rhythm section - composed of bassist Raffaele Bossard and drummer Lionel Friedli - paving the ground for concurrent spontaneous incursions of guitar, saxophone and trumpet. A cacophonous noise delirium comes out of the speakers at full force, inundating the surroundings with ferocious energy. Other punkier tracks include “Medical Emergency”, which, inspired by true Covid events, revels in horn unisons, muscular drumming, and fiery solos from guitar and tenor; and “What Goes Up…”, whose pummeling rhythmic drive and loud guitar strumming are in a position to defy The Sex Pistols. This number, together with the closing 3/4 bluesy cut “Better Don’t Fuck with the Drunken Sailor”, originally appeared on the 2020 album Zurich Concert, which also featured Branch.

“Can You Hear Me” and “Get a Doener” have strong improvisational flairs. The former, with unaggressive chordal work and sharp trumpet notes pointing to the sky, becomes heavier, then darker and then percussive; the latter, squeezing a hip-hop feel out of its rhythmic fragmentation, has Gisler and Murray engaged in an uproarious dialogue. At odds with these ambiences yet with distinct natures, we have the eerily atmospheric title track and “The Vision”, whose irresistible theme plays like a spiritual hymn. Over the course of the tune I just mentioned, one finds melodious trumpet lines set against a fuzz-painted wall of noise, an inside/outside guitar improvisation delivered with hammer-ons and resolute phrases, and Murray’s volcanic blows over a prodding krautrock rhythm. This captivating album is a squall of musical intensity and puissant improvisation.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Bastards on the Run ► 04 - The Vision ► 06 - Medical Emergency 

Dave Douglas - Secular Psalms

Label: Greenleaf Music, 2022

Personnel - Dave Douglas: trumpet, voice; Berlinde Deman: serpent, tuba, voice; Marta Warelis: piano, pump organ;  Frederik Leroux: guitars, lute, electronics; Tomeka Reid: cello; Lander Gyselinck: drums, electronics.

Trumpeter, composer and bandleader Dave Douglas belongs to a group of state-of-the-art thinkers whose music, whether largely progressive or completely immersed in tradition, is unfailingly effective. Besides his widely acclaimed post-bop excursions, further conceptual albums have been put together with quirky instrumentation, and Secular Psalms is another wonderful addition. Featuring an appropriate supporting cast, this new opus was inspired by art of the 15th Century, namely, Jan van Eyck’s Ghent Altarpiece and some secular hymns by Franco-Flemish composer Guillaume Du Fay.

The opening piece, “Arrival”, plunges into a contemplative dark-hued mysticism that, at the same time that invites us to search, prepares our ears for what comes next. Playing at the center, the trumpeter is briefly joined by Belgian guitarist Frederik Leroux, who infuses non-aggressive distortion during the interesting groove that follows. “Mercy” cooks up with a deft combination of erudition and nerve that exemplifies Douglas’ abilities to shake mainstream values. The texts on this one, earnestly sung by the tubist Berlinde Deman, are by Marvin Gaye, the Latin Mass, Psalm 59, and the bandleader. For its part, “We Believe” is a darkly lyrical effort with lute, organ and muted trumpet.

The opening trio of songs is stupendous but other standouts eventually surface. Among them is “Instrumental Angels”, whose asymmetric postmodernism is not devoid of glittery harmony. There's also the shadowy waltz “Hermits and Pilgrims”, which starts off with the beautifully intriguing cello sounds of Tomeka Reid in company with pump organ by Marta Warelis. The latter is featured here as a soloist, as well as Douglas, who builds lines with a tasteful feeling.

With slow waves of sadcore and goth rock, “Ah Moon” appealed more to me than “If I’m in Church More Often Now”; both include texts by the medieval Italian poet Christine De Pizan. The album concludes with “Edge of Night”, where Douglas’ optimistic text surfaces from an overall uncanny ambience.

Sculpted with total commitment and artistic imagination, this richly layered offering is far from your traditional jazz record, but deserves to be singled out for the musical characteristics achieved.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Arrival ► 02 - Mercy ► 05 - Instrumental Angels 

Brad Mehldau - Jacob's Ladder

Label: Nonesuch Records, 2022

Personnel includes - Brad Mehldau: grand piano, keyboards, synth, Rhodes, mellotron, harmonium, xylophone, vocals, and more; Joel Frahm: tenor and soprano saxophone; Pedro Martins: acoustic and electric guitar, vocals; Becca Stevens: vocals; Luca van den Bossche: treble voice, vocals; Cécile McLorin Salvant: wordless vocals; Chris Thile: mandolin, vocals; Lavinia Meijer: harp; Mark Guiliana: drums; and more. 

The inventive pianist and composer Brad Mehldau is unpredictable on each record released. His new oeuvre, Jacob’s Ladder, reflects on the Scripture and the search for God, taking us into a stylistically wide-ranging path where his avant-garde side is on display. The varied musical concepts are peppered with elements of jazz, prog-rock, pop/rock and classical, and top-notch guest artists contribute to enrich originals and covers with different configurations and sounds.

The hyper-lyricism of the opening piece, “Maybe as His Skies are Wide”, is achieved by appropriately spotlighting the treble vocals of Luca van Den Bossche, which hover ethereally atop luminous piano/synth accompaniment and the exquisite drumming of Mark Guiliana. The latter is on fire during the shape-shifting “Herr Und Knecht”, an obscure prog-rock number infused with raging Hegel vocals by Tobias Bader, synth blazes, and expedite interpolations by Joel Frahm on soprano. The saxophonist opts for blending tenor and soprano sounds on Rush’s “Tom Sawyer”, another embrace of the progressive rock style that marked Mehldau’s childhood. This song, fronted by mandolinist/singer Chris Thile, is assertively propelled by the energy and odd-meter drive of Guiliana behind the drum kit. The finale nearly reaches the world fusion territory as Thile brings the mandolin sounds to a positive vibration.

A totally different kind of vitality erupts from the laid-back “Vou Correndo te Encontrar/Racear”, a feature for Brazilian guitarist/vocalist Pedro Martins, whose musical credits include associate acts with master guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel. The song is a much gentler rework in 3/4 time of “Racear” by the prog-metal band Periphery.

Both “Cogs in Cogs” and “Jacob’s Ladder” are excellently balanced and presented as three-part suites. The former, borrowed from the British progressive band Gentle Giant, goes from jazzatronica to a waltz-paced cut sung by Becca Stevens to a solo piano effort that draws from sacred classical music. In turn, the title track starts with liturgical spoken word, passes through patterned glitchy electronica turned pure jazz glow with just a bit of funk underneath (there’s a fantastically evocative piano solo by the bandleader here), and ends with a haunting vocal dronescape that sometimes gets mystical, other times guttural. 

The sacred and the spiritual surface once again on “Heaven”, whose four consecutive movements interweave threads with wordless vocals by Cécile McLorin Salvant, piano/synth synergy, beautiful acoustic guitar playing by Martins, and elegant harp plucks by Lavinia Meijer. It all ends with expressive solo piano by Mehldau, who should guarantee untiring devotion from eclectic jazz worshipers with this one. 

Favorite Tracks: 
02 - Herr Und Knecht ► 07 - Tom Sawyer ► 12 - Heaven

Larry Goldings / Peter Bernstein / Bill Stewart - Perpetual Pendulum

Label: Smoke Sessions Records, 2022

Personnel - Larry Goldings: Hammond B3 organ; Peter Bernstein: guitar; Bill Stewart: drums.

The trio of keyboardist Larry Goldings, guitarist Peter Bernstein and drummer Bill Stewart, puts out Perpetual Pendulum, their 18th album, celebrating a fruitful musical cooperation that has lasted for more than 30 years. Their musical tastes and inclinations reflect on the repertoire chosen for each recording, and there are some great additions here. 

Let’s start with the opening Wayne Shorter tune, “United”, whose wittiness and groovy flamboyance should put it back in circulation. The interaction is spot on, with Goldings and Bernstein trading fours with the drummer after their respective first-class solos. The same applies to Gary Bartz’s “Libra”, which, developing at a boiling tempo, delivers a bubbling A section that recalls the disco songs of the Bee Gees. It swings with undeniable passion the very next moment. Goldings and Stewart are solid like a tree trunk, and this is also true on “Django”, a straight-ahead number imbued with the spirit of Jim Hall and Joe Pass, an impression reinforced by Bernstein’s haunting introduction.

Goldings has the capacity to extract ideas from classic tunes and transfer them into songs with a twist of his own. This is the case with “Let’s Get Lots”, which fashions recognizable melodic portions of “Let’s Get Lost”, a jazz standard notably performed by Chet Baker in the 1950s, and “Prelude”, which, inspired by Duke Ellington’s “Prelude #2”, gets an alluring bluesy feel here. Ellington is evoked once again through the rendition of one of his famous ballads, “Reflections in D”, whereas the effulgent “Come Rain or Come Shine” cradles our hearts with warmth. The keyboardist and the guitarist improvise magnetically, exchanging phrases in the choruses that lead to the theme.

Also deserving mention, Stewart’s “FU Donald” is a jazz meets funk-rock number with challenging meter signatures and a spine-shivering figure at the center that slides chromatically along the way. This is Goldings/Bernstein/Stewart trio playing at full tilt.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - United ► 05 - FU Donald ► 06 - Come Rain or Come Shine

Gerald Clayton - Bells on Sand

Label: Blue Note Records, 2022

Personnel - Gerald Clayton: piano, organ, Rhodes, vibraphone; MARO: vocals (#3,9); Charles Lloyd; tenor saxophone (#9); John Clayton: bass (#1,3); Justin Brown: drums (#1,3,5,6).

For his sophomore Blue Note album, the pianist and composer Gerald Clayton put together a multi-generational group to perform four of his own compositions and three covers. The remaining trio of tracks are solo deliveries - two distinct interpretations of the splendorous jazz standard “My Ideal” (multi-layered vs. solo piano version) and Gerald’s uncle Jeff’s tune “There is Much Music Where You’re Going My Friends”, a blues-gospel reflex of optimism. 

The opening track, “Water’s Edge”, is a heartfelt exploration of spirituality expressed with refined lyricism at a slow tempo. The piece features Gerald’s bassist father John Clayton, who stinted with the Count Basie Orchestra in the ‘70s and worked with Ray Brown, Milt Jackson and Dee Dee Bridgewater.

Gerald, who is unabashedly entranced by the sounds of two mentors - the late trumpeter Roy Hargrove and the legendary saxophonist Charles Lloyd - dedicates one piece to each of them. “That Roy” evokes the sound of the former by lacing relaxing jazz vibes with touches of soul and R&B. This is followed by “RIP”, an elegiac short thread that swells in intensity with the effective drumming of Justin Brown. The unparalleled Mr. Lloyd is featured in the prayerful sax-piano duet “Peace Invocation”. They shimmer and dance, bringing that peace of mind that makes us forget for a moment what the world is going through.

Delivered with high levels of intimacy and empathy, “Elegia” and “Damunt De Tu Només Les Flors” show Gerald’s love for the Spanish composer Federico Mompou. Both renditions present a fresh instrumentation, with the latter (a standout track), featuring the exquisite, dreamy voice of Lisbon-born singer MARO. She returns later on to lull us with the phenomenal “Just a Dream”, a Clayton song about love and parenthood. 

There are no pressurized or discordant moments on this album. Clayton explores his feelings smoothly and generously through clear passages. The professionals he hired came together well to assemble an even-keeled body of work that more than satisfies.

Favorite Track:
01 - Water’s Edge ► 07 - Just a Dream ► 09 - Peace Invocation

Mark Turner - Return From the Stars

Label: ECM Records, 2022

Personnel - Mark Turner: tenor saxophone; Jason Palmer: trumpet; Joe Martin: bass; Jonathan Pinson: drums.

With Return From the Stars, the resourceful saxophonist Mark Turner returns to his own quartet, eight years after Lathe of Heaven (ECM, 2014). There were two alterations in the lineup, with the young trumpeter Jason Palmer replacing Avishai Cohen and the drummer Jonathan Pinson grabbing the chair that belonged to Marcus Gilmore. Rounding out the group is bassist Joe Martin, who remains as one of the rhythm section’s pillars. 

Eschewing any type of conformism in his compositional strategy, the bandleader’s employment of a chord-less ensemble taps into his musical intentions. He named the album, and its magnificent opening track, after Stanislav Lem’s sci-fi novel of the same name, whose topics fall into social alienation and dystopia. The thematically strong title cut has saxophone and trumpet working in conjunction, and launches the improvisations with Martin, who never lets go of the groove. After him, working over blowing changes in triple meter, there is a scintillating dialogue between Turner and Palmer. The saxist, vibrant in tone, blows with an extraordinary sense of phrasing, while the trumpeter articulates notes with admirable precision.

A couple of cuts imply some discontentment with the current state of the world. One example is “It’s Not Alright With Me”, where inventive tenor diagonals cut across several choruses in full force. “Unacceptable” is another one, which, after being accented with inspired phrases in the head, shows horn-driven discipline during the 13-beat cycle (the same that gets the piece off the ground) that separates Turner’s combustible solo from the patiently built narrative of Palmer.

Following the intriguing Shorter-esque “Terminus”, which fluidly shifts between moods, texture and tempo, there’s the brightly shine of “Bridgetown”, a nearly anthemic Afro-Caribbean-flavored piece delivered with a pompous glory. “Nigeria II” is an uptempo bop-inflected workout that swings and dances with unhesitant, nimble steps, whereas “Waste Land” sounds like a chamber piece in which the ensemble interacts with a spacey kinship. The intensity swells underneath via Pinson’s chop-infused drumming, which is considerably mitigated during the sculptural “Lincoln Heights”, a temperate 3/4 consolidation of jazz and pop/rock. Rest assured that all eight pieces on this album reveal high levels of musicianship, maturity and chemistry.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Terminus ► 05 - Nigeria II ► 07 - Unacceptable