Jonathan Reisin - Option B

Label: Habitable Records, 2022

Personnel - Jonathan Reisin: tenor and soprano saxophone; Moshe Elmakias: piano; Nitzan Birnbaum: dums (#1,3,6,7); Brian Richburg Jr.: drums (#2,4,5,8).

Israeli saxophonist and composer Jonathan Reisin spearheads a bass-less trio that makes his improvisational propensity obvious. He reveals instinctive chemistry and peculiar intimacy with the members positioned at the base of the triangle: drummers Nitzan Birnbaum and Brian Richburg Jr., who take turns and play four pieces each, and Israeli pianist Moshe Elmakias. 

The album, his first as a leader, is bookended by group improvisations - “One” opens the set stealthily with tenor vibratos and multiphonics skimming over a minimalist accompaniment; and “Juka” closes it, with volcanic tenor magma rising above the blissful, if cryptic, sonic grid weaved by bass and drums. “Glue” is on the same wavelength as the former piece, but its angular theme is cooked under the pressurized steam of the snare drum and irregularly pounding drum kicks. Playing in the same league is “It’s Not the Same” - initially outlined by soft piano caresses and palpable soprano melodies before turning into something more rhythmically and emotionally intense. The record rises in a crescendo, making us want to discover more.

In the title track, “Option B”, the trio goes for a diffuse propagation of sounds based on a tone row. The saxophonist and the pianist explore imperturbably in sync, but soon the threesome communicates closely, working on dynamics. They loosen up in one moment and charge in the next, and the final section almost feels tender after a stormy irruption. Inspired by Ligeti’s Musica Ricercata and equally tense, “Four Boats” is built on four notes, also engulfing us in mystery. Its flow is interrupted by a minimalist piano figure that is reused at the end, following an increase in agitation.

“Roy’s Room” features the tom-tom dances and cymbal frothiness of Brian Richburg Jr., who sets a tonally interesting conversation with himself at the outset. The piece develops via sax/piano unisons and more harmonic allure, before plunging into a quiet atmosphere comprised of sensitive piano work, whispering brushes, and idle saxophone phrases. 

Reisin picks out possible sonorities that, creating intentional ambiguity and surprise, complement each other. Option B, which is dedicated to the saxophonist’s late grandfather, is a most welcome debut.

Favorite Tracks:
06 - Four Boats ► 07 - It’s Not the Same ► 08 - Juka

Thomas Mitrousis Quartet - The Seed

Label: Self released, 2022

Personnel - Thomas Mitrousis: guitar; Kostas Yaxoglou: piano; Paraskevas Kitsos: double bass; Dimitris Klonis: drums.

The effortless approach to music adopted by Athens-based guitarist Thomas Mitrousis is very much in sight on his first album as a leader, The Seed, a warm quartet collaboration that blurs stylistic territories with modern instinct. 

Solely composed of originals, the album opens with the strongest one, “Crossing the Lines”, a well-delineated expedition in seven that borrows the fashionable jazz-pop-rock formulas of E.S.T. and The Bad Plus. Starting things out on the automated side, pianist Kostas Yaxoglou recycles a sharp ostinato and then improvises prior to the bandleader, whose relaxed phrasing serves as a recipient of his valid ideas. During the closing vamp, bassist Paraskevas Kitsos sings louder, while the rhythmic chops of drummer Dimitris Klonis are properly accentuated.

The teamwork between bassist and drummer translates into a magnetic groove on “Bipolar Express”, where sleek fretless slides and syncopated breakbeats are exhibited. The nice melody travels through wide-open spaces on top of this contemporary rhythmic underpinning. In turn, the squarer and harmonically compact “Chopping Therapy” presents a flair for pop/rock playfulness, but that disposition fluctuates along the way. The group ends up in an ambient trance with the bowed bass creating soaring and swooping motions. As distinguished from those, “Quinta” is a delicately brushed waltz with an airier and jazzier side.  

Delivered in five, “Fax From Fux” takes the form of a world-inspired dance, whereas “Tararirarom” employs a septuple meter, melding folk and rock genres. This idea is reinforced by Kitso’s voice, and the group sounds so loose that it inspires a Jarrett-esque piano solo punctuated with muted notes. Mitrousis and his peers leave positive indications with this first work, and the sound of the group can only get better in the future.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Crossing the Lines ► 05 - Tararirarom ► 08 - Bipolar Express

Brandon Seabrook Trio - In the Swarm

Label: Astral Spirits Records, 2022

Personnel - Brandon Seabrook: guitar, banjo; Cooper-Moore: diddley bow; Gerald Cleaver: drums, electronics.

For In the Swarm, the avant-garde guitarist, banjoist and improviser Brandon Seabrook reunited with his trio mates Cooper-Moore and Gerald Cleaver, on diddley bow (a single-stringed American instrument characteristic of the Deep South) and drums, respectively, with whom he forms an incredibly rhythmic triangle. These experimenters have already made a few marks on contemporary jazz, and here, just like in the previous Exultations (Astral Spirits, 2020), they catch your ear with creative explosions and an unflinching experimentalism stretched to the brink of psychedelic rock, electronica, and avant-garde jazz.

Most of the tracks ignite fire, granting access to new worlds of sound that are unquestionably genuine. Take the example of the title cut, which opens the record with an enthralling krautrock rhythm, edgy low-pitched vibes, and an offbeat banjo dissertation full of rhythmic intention. There’s also “Vibrancy Yourself”, a rousing post-punk number designed with chewy, danceable diddley bow grooves and distorted guitar with different tonal qualities. Cleaver is absolutely brilliant throughout, and if he stuns with the sextuple feel proposed on “Subliminal Gaucheries” (where we almost hear a blues at the bottom of the atmospheric reverberations), then he shows pulsing power and unerring precision on “Crepuscule of Cleaver”. Ushering in this patterned grid of metrical iteration, we have glitchy, stereo beams and serrated guitar noise.

“Adrenaline Charters” may seem disjointed at first, before our ears assimilate the rich pavement that holds the finger-busting work from Seabrook on banjo. “Seething Excitations” could have been a samba if it wasn’t for the hard-kicking drum set and darker tones. “Aghastitude” is shrouded in acerbic rebelliousness as it promotes a relentless motion that fits the experimental and industrial catalogue of Laibach and Einsturzende Neubauten. There’s a delirious guitar rapture here with lots of magnetism involved. In any case, the trio’s material transcends influences and generates something unique.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - In the Swarm ► 03 - Vibrancy Yourself ► 04 - Crepuscule of Cleaver

Oded Tzur - Isabela

Label: ECM Records, 2022

Personnel - Oded Tzur: tenor saxophone; Nitai Hershkovits: piano; Petros Klampanis: double bass; Johnathan Blake: drums.

The Israeli-born, New York-based saxophonist Oded Tzur touts a carefully constructed musical style that comes with both elegance and a personal touch. His focused horn sound shaped with timbral grace can be heard on the five tracks of Isabela, the follow up to his ECM debut Here Be Dragons. Tzur is in command of a qualified quartet whose lineup remains unchanged since his last album, featuring Israeli pianist Nitai Hershkovits, Greek bassist Petros Klampanis and American drummer Johnathan Blake. They blend jazz and raga with a unique perspective.

The brief “Invocations” kicks off the recording with a spiritual undercurrent that feels like a big, warm hug of welcome. This makes for a fantastic Chalan-like intro, where it’s impossible to ignore the effective mallet art and kick-drum work of Blake. Yet,  “Noam” and “Love Song For the Rainy Season” are where the album really shines. Inspiringly, the former piece offers an enchanting melody over a soothing chordal sequence, immersing us in a liberating jazz-raga dance where the tenor reaches a certain hoarse splendor. At a later time, the trills and half-tone shifting roundabouts infused by Hershkovits create a bit more mystery before the group reinstates the main statement. The latter piece is the one that closes out the album, carrying a lightness and breeziness throughout a process that, besides changing meter during the motivic piano solo, also includes drum expansion and winding saxophone trajectories. 

The gracious “The Lion Turtle” dissimulates an intricate tempo while boasting a strong folk feel. It counts on a trio of ad-lib sections under the melodic control of Klampanis, Hershkovits, and Tzur. The saxophonist also brings his beautiful sense of melody to the fore on the slow-evolving title track, which, starting as a quiet whisper, is marked by interesting piano details and sensitive brushwork.

This affable jazz recording is sculpted with a detached elegance that never gets the music too heated. Hence, you can expect introspection and poised tones to override energy-filled rhythms or grooves. That said, it all sounds organically pleasurable and the saxophonist’s playing is very special indeed.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Noam ► 03 - The Lion Turtle ► 05 - Love Song For the Rainy Season

Jacob Garchik - Assembly

Label: Yestereve Records, 2022

Personnel - Jacob Garchik: trombone; Sam Newsome: soprano saxophone; Jacob Sacks: piano; Thomas Morgan: bass; Dan Weiss: drums.

Trombonist/composer Jacob Garchik is anything but a newcomer to the creative jazz world. He's actually one of the most adventurous and in-demand trombonists on the scene, having played with names such as Mary Halvorson, Henry Threadgill, Anna Webber, Ohad Talmor, and Steve Swallow. For his audacious new album, Assembly, he put together a powerful combo whose frontline consists of himself and sopranist Sam Newsome. The triangular association of pianist Jacob Sacks, bassist Thomas Morgan, and drummer Dan Weiss completes the quintet, providing solid rhythmic anchor. Known for his conceptual sonic schemas, Garchik delivers a studio work of collages and musical juxtapositions that blends the experimental and the traditional sides of jazz. With the sonic uncertainty amidst the executional certitude, the way melody and rhythm collide and merge upends expectation.

Kicking off with the quizzical “Collage”, the album immediately baffles as fricative forces emerge from the encounter of an effusive rhythm-changes-based dialogue and a slow, heavy harmonic development demarcated by a swinging hi-hat pulsation. The swing is literally incorporated into “Pastiche” with insightful resolve. The horn players keep blowing bopishly, and Garchik takes off for a solo over bass and drums before the time is doubled for a lightning-fast finale.

“Bricolage” is a showcase for Newsome, who extracts interesting sounds of the soprano over a simple two-note bass figure. Morgan increases the number of notes as Garchik begins punctual counterpoint. It’s all very curious until here, but not as beautiful as when we hear “Homage”, the album’s most meditative piece. It’s a modal experiment based on McCoy Tyner’s “Contemplation”, which overdubs three drum sets, four basses, four pianos, two soprano saxes, and three trombones.

Whereas “Idée Fixe” simulates a ‘broken record’ with loopy ostinatos and occasional swinging motion interference, “Fanfare” employs cascading sequences, counterpoint, and unisons in a masterful setting, going from rambunctious to balladic whenever the group falls into Ellington’s “In a Sentimental Mood”. In opposition, “Fantasia” builds tension from the very beginning, combining the droning, didgeridoo-like sounds of the altered soprano sax with a driving collective post-bop.

Both writing and playing are first class, and the group creates an integration of languages that draw from different domains. We never know what to expect from each track, and that’s the thrill of it.

Favorite Tracks:
04 - Homage ► 05 - Fanfare ► 06 - Idée Fixe 

Mary Halvorson - Amaryllis

Label: Nonesuch Records, 2022

Personnel - Mary Halvorson: guitar; Adam O’Farrill: trumpet; Jacob Garchik: trombone; Patricia Brennan: vibraphone; Nick Dunston: bass; Tomas Fujiwara: drums + The Mivos Quartet (#4-11).

Brooklyn-based Mary Halvorson is a premier guitarist and composer whose innovative and creative work has been lauded by the public and critics alike. She makes her Nonesuch debut, not with one, but with two interrelated albums: Amaryllis, a six-song suite featuring a newly established sextet of old cohorts plus the Mivos Quartet on half of the tracks; and Belladonna, a set of modern chamber compositions written for guitar and the above mentioned string quartet. All compositions were written in 2020, when the world entered lockdown.

The object of this review is Amaryllis, whose kinetic opening track, “Night Shift”, channels effortless swagger, mastering a rhythmic development in 10/8 that combines indie rock, new music and modern jazz concepts with tasteful effects and triumphant solos from Adam O’Farrill on trumpet and Patricia Brennan on vibraphone. “Anesthesia” arrives next to explore with a calmer temperament; it’s deliberately cerebral and intriguingly percussive at times. On the contrary, the tricky-metered “Amaryllis” starts off with an expeditious bass figure laid down by Nick Dunston, but the relaxed way O’Farrill and trombonist Jacob Garchik blow their horns creates a polyrhythmic feel that is extremely gratifying. After a stunning trumpet solo, drummer Tomas Fujiwara also finds the space to deepen his rhythmic chops.

The three last selections feature the allurement of strings, with the Mivos quartet enlarging the group to a tentet. They forge a nice chamber setting where modern classical and avant-garde elements merge seamlessly. That’s what happens on “Side Effect”, which keeps an exuberant sense of wonder while skillfully warping our rhythmic perception of things. The last couple of tracks, “Hoodwink” and “892 Teeth”, are more immediate, seeking out a more symmetric geometry while putting on view Halvorson’s visionary methods and openness to other genres. The former tune, carrying a march-like propulsion that recalls Bill Frisell’s ECM album Rambler, features the bandleader’s beautiful fingerpicking and warped improvised verses. On the other hand, the latter piece feels intimate and emotional, oozing a somber tone that never reaches a deep level of despair.

Nothing here feels like a stretch. That’s what you get when you have the gift for structured composition and the back of a stupendous cast of players who trust one another implicitly. 

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Night Shift ► 03 - Amaryllis ► 05 - Hoodwinck

Gilad Hekselman - Far Star

Label: Edition Records, 2022

Personnel - Gilad Hekselman: guitar, bass, keys; Eric Harland: drums; Shai Maestro: keys; Nomok: synth; Amir Bresceron: drums, percussion; Nathan Schram: viola, violin; Oren Hardy: bass; Alon Benjamini: percussion.

Gilad Hekselman, an outstanding guitarist born in Israel and based in New York, makes his debut on the British label Edition Records with Far Star, an album that shifts into new musical directions. The tracks comprising this work developed from ‘song demos’ accumulated in his computer due to the pandemic, and according to his own words, are about his ability to travel with his imagination. 

A small number of guests are featured, one of them being the drummer Eric Harland (Charles Lloyd, Chris Potter, Dave Holland), who lays down a sort of Afrobeat vibe on the opening track, “Long Way From Home”. Employing a whistled simple melody as a starting point, this piece is impeccably layered with a frisky bass pulse and a particular guitar sound that seems to draw from country jazz. Hekselman’s improvisation is modern and catchy, and the atmosphere reaches an epic, cinematic climax before resting on the triple time drumming of Harland. The latter is equally outstanding in the following “Fast Moving Century”, a sequence of collages where electronica and underground hip-hop influences are burned through until the more rock-inclined denouement. Besides the drum swells amplifying the picture, there’s also the mutable keyboard work of Shai Maestro.

“I Didn’t Know” is an acoustic dreamscape that unfolds with a nice melody over a smooth underpinning, whereas the title track chooses melancholic notes to build a poignant narrative. The strings of Nathan Schram gives it a touch, together with the Brazilian rhythm that appears halfway, fruit of the bass and percussion of Oren Hardy and Elon Benjamin, respectively.

The second half of the record is very strong, and the variety of sounds is not by chance, emerging organically and stirring emotional hues that make us want to discover more. This is the case with “Magic Chord”, a riff-centered piece delivered with a polyrhythmic feel and a propensity for fusion; and “Rebirth”, a beautifully cooked recipe that mystifies with sonic details and the cutting-edge rhythm engendered by Israeli drummer Ziv Ravitz in his single appearance on the album. Also, “The Headrocker”, a soulful blues-rock-meets-jazz number, thrives with the participation of keyboardist Nomok and drummer Amir Bresceron.

The music on Far Star is more than soloing or showing off technical skills. It’s a kaleidoscopic journey into the creative mind of Hekselman, whose highly contemporary vision is executed with expertise and the valuable support from his peers.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Long Way From Home ► 07 - The Headrocker ► 08 - Rebirth

John Scofield - John Scofield

Label: ECM Records, 2022

Personnel - John Scofield: electric guitar, looper.

John Scofield, a glorious guitarist with a slightly twisty guitar sound and a language that often comes adorned with elements of funk, country and rock, has all the reasons to feel jubilant about his new recording. That's because this self-titled album is his first solo effort in a career spanning over half a century.

The chosen repertoire - five originals and eight covers - heralds new sonic directions (including traditional and rock n’roll songs), and the guitarist works his grooves and ambiences to great effect while adding some understated electronic manipulation. The recording initiates with Keith Jarrett’s “Coral”, whose relaxed 4/4 step includes an early overdubbed solo. The following step is a reworking of “Honest I Do”, an original collected out of his Grace Under Pressure album (Blue Note, 1992). Other standout tunes from Scofield’s pen are the cool “Elder Dance”, where he swings unabashedly with jazz n’ bluesy solos and opportune octave inflections; “Mrs. Scofield’s Waltz”, a lovable, gentle piece which first appeared on the superlative album Works For Me (Verve, 2000) with Brad Mehldau; and the fusion-laced “Trance De Jour”.

Both “Danny Boy”, a country/Americana folding whose soloing section is backed by loop waves, and “Junco Partner”, a 16-bar blues from Louisiana, are traditional numbers that show his love for American roots music. However, two of the most stirring cuts are interpretations of standards: “It Could Happen to You” and “There Will Never Be Another You” demonstrate Scofields’s unerring instinct to put his own soulful stamp in the traditional jazz language. Besides the marvelous improvisation, he spices up the former piece’s theme with nice glissandi, and finishes the latter with an awesome quirky chord. Conversely, “My Old Flame” doesn’t have the same impact as the other two.

The reading of Buddy Holly’s rockabilly number “Not Fade Away” comes etched with Americana inscriptions and round bending notes. Here, Scofield experiments a bit more with the sound, infusing muffled bass notes and cyclic funkified electronics. The record closes out with Hank Williams’ “You Win Again”, a leisure walk through the serene prairies of country music. With all these songs serving as a catalyst for the electric hooks and phraseology of the guitarist, this is a sweeping album with a wide range of flavors.

Favorite Tracks:
03 - It Could Happen to You ► 06 - Mrs. Scofield’s Waltz ► 08 - There Will Never Be Another You

Kevin Eubanks / Orrin Evans - EEE: Eubanks Evans Experience

Label: Imani Records, 2022

Personnel - Kevin Eubanks: guitar; Orrin Evans: piano.

Guitarist Kevin Eubanks and pianist Orrin Evans joined forces for a sympathetic duo offer designated as EEE - Eubanks-Evans Experience. These two musicians with strong ties to Philadelphia spent years honing their crafts, revealing a proclivity to expand horizons beyond pure jazz. Besides leaders in their own right, the twosome contributed as sidemen on albums of each other (Evans’ #knowingishalfthebattle; Eubanks’ East West Time Line). The guitarist is commonly associated with the bassist Dave Holland and the singer Diane Reeves, while the pianist was a member of the Ralph Peterson Quintet and groups led by trumpeter Sean Jones. He also replaced Ethan Iverson in the newfangled trio The Bad Plus.

Flowing with a relaxed vibe, “Novice Bounce” opens the record with smooth touches on jazz-funk and bossa. Written by Eubanks, this opening number collected from his first record, Guitarist (Discovery, 1982), finds him tackling it with half the tempo and electric guitar instead of the acoustic. If the ballads -  “Dreams of Lovin’ You” (composed by Tom Browne) and “Dawn Marie” (a tribute from Evans to his wife) - breathe and never rush, then other pieces make our heartbeat increase during their musical route by going in different directions. 

The improvised “I Don’t Know” seems to squeeze two different worlds into the same sonic bubble. The artists treat their instruments with a newly discovered freedom, and the initial sense of bluesy dispersion is eased when Eubanks starts to work on the lower register, fulfilling bass duties. There are a couple more spontaneous numbers, but those don’t reach the heights of the two last tracks, both recorded live at Chris’ Jazz Cafe in Philadelphia. They are variations of Evans’ “Half the Battle” and Eubanks’ “Adoration”. The former is transformed into a mercurial fusion work by the addition of often-bluesy rock licks, a spiritual harmonic progression evocative of Pharaoh Sanders, and a groovy funk-rock strut that contracts and expands with multiple levels of intensity. The latter piece, instead, arrives in triple time, spreading out a beautiful energy.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Novice Bounce ► 06 - Variations on Half the Battle ► 07 - Variations on Adoration

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