Juanma Trujillo - Collage

Label: ears & eyes Records, 2022

Personnel - Juanma Trujillo: electric and acoustic guitars; Sean Conly: acoustic bass; Francisco Mela: drums.

Venezuelan guitarist Juanma Trujillo has been living in New York since 2014, forging his own path in the improvised/experimental music scene. For this gorgeous trio album titled Collage, he works with two judiciously chosen musicians equally keen on open settings: the assiduous American bassist Sean Conly (Darius Jones, Michael Attias) and the in-demand Cuban-born drummer Francisco Mela (McCoy Tyner, Joe Lovano). They share a mutual conscience and enhance freedom in their explorative temperament here while playing five Trujillo compositions and one impromptu presentation.

The guitarist love for cinema is reflected in “Araya”, a volatile piece inspired by the 1959 documentary of the same name by Venezuelan filmmaker Margot Beacerraf. The folksy tone of his acoustic guitar is magnetically strange, favoring abstraction and enchantment. The sounds of Liberty Ellman come to mind, and the enigmatic chordal voicings compel us to discover more.

Trujillo’s electrified axe resounds vibrantly with crunching notes on “Rebote”, in which he mixes folk and rock with a peculiar bounce; and also on “El Santo”, a noise-infused attack with a proclivity for psychedelic rock aesthetics. His expert manipulation of sound is laid down over bass pedal points and adroit snare-and-cymbal patterns. In the last segment, one finds great percussive rebounds by Mela providing added weight to a nice conclusion.

The bandleader is the trio’s guiding light, exploring space from different angles. That aspect is demonstrated not only on “Himno”, a chorale-like piece that, not being totally predictable, takes us to discernible melodic trails, but also on the fully improvised “El Chivo”, an expressionistic invention that falls between the rustic and the modern. The latter revels in unremitting acoustic folk interlocks, bowed bass for a slightly eery effect, and anxious drumming with no particular timekeeping. 

The trio wraps up the set with “Simultaneo”, a laid-back crossover jazz in the vein of Bill Frisell and Charles Lloyd, which contains elements of Americana, South American folk, and some American and European classic connotations. This trio works splendidly, revealing an excellent sense of moment throughout. Trujillo, totally transparent in his multiple influences, also throws in a lot of stuff that is undoubtedly his own.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Araya ► 03 - El Santo ► 06 - Simultaneo

Espen Berg Trio - Fjære

Label: Odin Records, 2022

Personnel - Espen Berg: piano; Bárður Reinert Poulsen: bass; Simon Albertsen: drums. Guest appearances: Mathias Eick: trumpet; Hanna Paulsberg: tenor saxophone; Silje Nergaard: vocals.

On Fjære, his fourth recording for the Odin label, Norwegian pianist and composer Espen Berg leads his tight trio with a consistent force, whether by playing abstractly or following composed material. He teams up with two partners deeply associated with his musical personality, the bassist Bárður Reinert Poulsen and the drummer Simon Albertsen. This trio of storytellers welcomes three persuasive guests to play in a selection of cuts.

Featuring trumpeter and ECM artist Mathias Eick, “Vintermørke” is well-proportioned and neatly put, conveying a Nordic jazz atmosphere that feels repose, organic and airy. The piece expands horizontally in a sweet tranquility that is also embraced by the bass and trumpet solos. The bandleader closes out the improvisation time after the theme is reestablished. Another bearer of sensitive delicacy is “Nikolai”, a piece launched by hand drumming and touched by flashes of folk, classical, and some Latin charm in the step. During his outstanding statement, Berg takes an adventurous course, creating enlightenment and connection, and transcending boundaries and conventions. It’s perhaps his best solo on this recording, in a very personal piece written for his 6-year-old son.

“Akervise” incorporates the saxophonist Hanna Paulsberg, featuring Albertsen's infusions of a moderately accelerated rhythm for superb contrast. “XVII” is introduced by sparse piano chords outlined with clever chromaticism and hand clapping before a majestic groove comes into play, negotiating a defying time signature. The uptempo “The Fourth Awakens” is marked by shapeshifting and rhythmic complexity, showing a lavishness that recalls Tigran Hamasyan without being hyperbolic in the chops. 

Whereas the asymmetric “Magnetic” features Eick in another loosen up context that often releases poignancy and controlled tension, “I’d Do it For Your Love”, the sole non-original of the album, lays the lovely voice of Silje Nergaard on top of a lushly reharmonization of Paul Simon’s popular song. And then, there’s a couple of quiet pieces - “The Vertical Movements of Eötvös” and “Svalbard” - that feels soft to the point of breaking. I urge you to unlock the secrets of Berg’s inspired set of tunes.

Favorite Tracks:
03 - XVII ► 06 - Nikolai ► 07 - The Fourth Awakens

Russ Lossing - Folks

Label: Sunnyside Records, 2022

Personnel - Russ Lossing: piano; John Hébert: bass; Michael Sarin: drums.

Pianist Russ Lossing cloaks his music in a haze of folkloric refinement for this particular jazz trio album with bassist John Hébert, a faithful collaborator for more than 20 years, and drummer Michael Sarin, in his second appearance with the pianist.

The composed folk melodies set the tone for the group improvisations with the exception of the balmy opening track, “Heaven Above”, which, shrouded in lyrical tranquility, off and on brings Bill Evans and John Taylor to mind. Here, the time is kept for the improvisations and the melodic treatment given by Lossing feels stunning with an emotional range. Hébert’s notes are huge when comping while Sarin’s sensitive percussion adds the perfect touch. 

On both “Village Folk” and “Mountain Folk”, the trio smears the musical canvases with soft hues for a bucolic portraiture. But it’s with “Country Folk”, another meditative, chant-like observation whose melody and harmony grab you strongly before lingering in the air, that the trio is at its best. Assuming a gorgeously asymmetric configuration, this particular number is enriched by lush piano notes that flow like a river, supportive yet never intrusive bass lines, and delicate brushwork. The ideas proliferate, expressed with different dynamics, just like on the Bartok-inspired “Grey”, which, revealing a more irreverent posture, leans on the avant-garde side despite the swinging post-bop thrust that runs at bottom.

Sophistication is in the call-and-response mechanisms proposed on “Call Now”, whose propensity to swing is complemented by an impeccably accented theme with concurrent playing by piano and bass, and also some Monk-meets-Motian spark. Hébert is particularly brilliant in the way he disguises and then disrupts during his bold statement. 

Rather than embracing fragility through the simplicity of folk, the trio pursues a wild excitement on “Lightning Bug”, a rambunctious effort that shows their hard-to-predict frame of mind. Lossing’s work has ranged from solo discs to duo and trio projects, projecting an expressive, personal sound that employs technique and sensibility on the side of emotions. Folks confirms that his heart is in the right place. 

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Heaven Above ► 03 - Grey ► 04 - Country Folk

Billy Drummond & Freedom of Ideas - Valse Sinistre

Label: Cellar Music Group, 2022

Personnel - Dayna Stephens: tenor and soprano saxophone; Micah Thomas: piano; Dezron Douglas: bass; Billy Drummond: drums.

The excellent musical career of drummer and composer Bill Drummond has been forged more as a sideman than as a leader. Over the years, the experienced in-demand musician was heard in projects by Lee Konitz, Archie Shepp, Carla Bley, Eddie Henderson, Andrew Hill, and Chris Potter. His newest body of work, Valse Sinistre, marks his first appearance at the helm of an ensemble since 1996, the year he released the quartet album Dubai on the Criss Cross label. Drummond also leads a quartet here, a multi-generational one, with saxophonist Dayna Stephens in the frontline and a rhythm section complemented by Micah Thomas on piano and Dezron Douglas on bass.

The well-rounded repertoire brings jazz tradition infused to the core, starting off with Jackie McLean’s supercharged “Little Melonae”, whose boldly etched theme, frantic tempo, and indelible spirit is reinforced with smoke-filled solos that nurture an adventurous streak. The top-tier arrangement is by Douglas, and Drummond is particularly impressive as he keeps up the technically and physically demanding pulse.

The title track was composed by Carla Bley and originally included in her 1981 album Social Studies. This reworking of the tune has a piano intro that already bubbles with mystery in the chords. It feels like eccentric circus music, intertwining the bizarre and the burlesque. The bandleader’s variations behind the kit are remarkably tuneful here, and also on Grachan Moncur’s “Frankenstein”, whose marvelously intriguing aura makes a good company to the other tune.

“Changes for Trane & Monk” is the sole Drummond original, homaging the chord changes of Coltrane and the hooky melodies of Monk, whereas “Clara’s Room”, an unfussy post-bop waltz by the late pianist Frank Kimbrough, marks another dedication to that wonderful musician. This latter piece belongs to a group of gently molded compositions that go well together, namely “Never Ends”, a composition by Thomas delivered with a focused soprano saxophone, crisp bass notes, and with a final vamp triggering snare drum activity; and David Raskin’s standard “Laura”, painted with cymbal legato and refined brush technique. True to form, the bandleader never shies away from a good swinging groove, and Stanley Cowell’s “Reconfirmed” dives headfirst into a Parker-ish demeanor developed in the piano-bass-drums format.

With a knack for playing old and new pieces in a subtly dynamic fashion, Drummond reappears strong as the leader of this resilient quartet.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Little Melonae ► 03 - Valse Sinistre ► 05 - Frankenstein

Allison Miller / Carmen Staaf - Nearness

Label: Sunnyside Records, 2022

Personnel - Allison Miller: drums; Carmen Staaf: piano.

On Nearness, a new recording that lives up to its name, drummer Allison Miller and pianist Carmen Staaf reconnect with the magnetic energy of their debut duo album, Science Fair (Sunnyside, 2018). Boasting a special chemistry that remains fun-lovingly intact, the duo shows a tremendous adaptability to any sort of modern jazz, presenting eight originals - three by Miller and five by Staaf - and two covers.

The lead-off track, “Dan Dan”, a product of Miller’s compositional creativity, is soulful, elegant and driving. In complete control of the kit, the drummer combines different parts to create warm and catchy sounds, while Staaf effortlessly accomplishes textures and tempos. They know exactly which type of sound suits each piece and do it tastefully.

Miller’s searching “Top Shelf” is another great illustration of their capabilities, kicking off rubato but advancing with surprising findings for an avant-garde meets post-bop delivery. This number, having a triple time feel conducting its rhythmic impetus, was originally recorded on Parlour Game, a 2019 album by Miller and violinist Jenny Scheinman, in which Staaf is also featured. Another piece retrieved from that album and included here is “Beans and Rice”, in which angular melodic traits combine with the swinging flow; we can hear Monk and Duke Ellington or, in other instances, Don Cherry and Oscar Peterson.

Staaf shows a strong affinity for the blues, contributing “Blue Thrush”, which is underpinned with selective percussive elements, and also “New York Landing”, whose twelve bar cycle in plain 4/4 allows for well seasoned chops. However, it was “Birds” that better worked out, a fluid popish song with magic in the interplay and traces of The Beatles and Keith Jarrett, which suddenly evolves to a Latin thrust before its dreamy ending.

Taste overrides technique, and the rendition of the jazz standard “The Nearness of You” is silky-smooth, sensual and exotic. On the other hand, Monk’s indelible ballad “Ask Me Now” doesn’t need much more than its sculptural melody to captivate. Nearness is an agreeable album sure to leave you with more gratification than before you start listening to it.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Dan Dan ► 03 - Top Shelf ► 06 - Birds

Angles - A Muted Reality

Label: Clean Feed Records, 2022

Personnel - Martin Küchen: alto saxophone; Magnus Broo: trumpet; Goran Kajfes: trumpet, effects; Mats Äleklint: trombone, sousaphone; Alexander Zethson: piano, synth; Mattias Ståhl: vibraphone; Johan Berthling: double bass; Konrad Agnas: drums.

Angles is an ever-exciting, versatile, and mutable Swedish ensemble led by the cutting-edge saxophonist Martin Küchen. A Muted Reality is their latest recording, and includes three new compositions by the leader, arranged by the group. This album marks a return to the octet format.

Angles’ song archetypes and influences - ranging from West African rhythms to world-folk music to spiritual jazz odysseys - are manifest without sounding rehashed. This musical excursion,  glorified by uncompromising ways of expressing feelings and freedom, begins with the title track in a slow, mournful procession of modal ideas. This moderately dark setting leads to an effect-drenched trumpet solo over a measured cadence populated by diaphanous keyboard layers. Over the course of their improvisations, pianist Alexander Zethson and the bandleader deliver modal grandeur and fiery passion, respectively. They are later joined by skewing horns in a demonstration of strength and unity, whereas hope can be felt over the epic final section, whose Eastern tang is bolstered by sigmoid folk melodies and a percolating rhythm. 

“The Hidden Balcony” takes those Eastern sounds further deep; no weak moments are found. Creative soloing is ubiquitous with trumpeter Goran Kafjes and trombonist Mats Äleklint having the conn before a wild Polka-style vamp concludes the piece with plenty of rhythmic figures and free blowing. The final cut, stylishly called “Fkk Down, Fkk Off”, is a Mingus-like orchestration with swinging verve and boogie-woogie. The musicians bring some more traditional elements into the setting, making it somewhat nostalgic, and drummer Konrad Agnas celebrates his first appearance with the combo with a good stretch.

A Muted Reality is a thoroughly enjoyable musical flight with limitless space for the soloists to venture as well as moments of maximum collective powerhouse effect.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - A Muted Reality ► 02 - The Hidden Balcony

Bennie Maupin / Adam Rudolph - Symphonic Tone Poem for Brother Yusef

Label: Strut Records, 2022

Personnel - Bennie Maupin: reeds, flute; Adam Rudolph: percussion, piano, electronics.

Multireedist Bennie Maupin and percussionist Adam Rudolph, two veterans of the eclectic jazz cosmos, recorded this five-movement album to celebrate the 100th birthday of the great late saxophonist/flutist Yusef Lateef, author of indispensable exotic gems like Eastern Sounds (Prestige, 1961) and Jazz Mood (Savoy Jazz, 1957). Rudolph worked with Lateef for two decades and has been very active lately with his Go Organic Orchestra and trio outfits with saxophonists Dave Liebman and Ralph M. Jones, and drummers Hamid Drake and Tatsuya Nakatani. Not as busy as his musical partner, Maupin is associated with the work of a few jazz giants such as Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock and McCoy Tyner, among others. Both have distinctive work under their own names, and Symphonic Tone Poem for Brother Yusef serves us a flavorful sonic plate of avant-garde values and ambient jazz sensibilities.

“First Movement” adds serene electronics in the background in a refined ambience that includes thumb piano, hand drumming, voice, and other percussive elements that contribute to a triple time flow. Maupin’s sketchy lines are laid atop with an easygoing resolution. “Second Movement”, gracefully executed as a cyclic Zen meditation, resonates with warm, glowing gongs before installing a ritualistic pattern with cymbal splashes and vibing adornments. The flute makes it easier for us to imagine a magical place full of harmony, where our hearts fill up with positive energy.

Despite the quiet avant-garde setting of “Movement Three”, Maupin becomes more impulsive and restless with the time, oscillating between tearful, mysterious and searching. The following track, “Movement Four”, boasts some agitation in the fancy beat but doesn’t discard a few raw elements that consolidate the bridge between the modern and the ancient worlds. A well-outlined bass clarinet spreads duskiness, mystification and some opacity too, in contrast with the sparse sakuhachi flute that soars at a higher height. The enchanted atmosphere ceases when the transfixing rhythm returns, making for a vibrant conclusion. The free spirit of the duo continues on “Movement Five”, whose expert instrumentation - with mesmerizing piano intervals, understated percussion, and palpable clarinet lines - has a lock on the magical spells, but with considerable more darker intonations. 

This gifted duo never overcooks, finding the perfect formula to shine, with no need of frills and shocks to provide a wonderful experience for the listener. This is a gracefully executed work where their purity of vision and sense of modernity are going strong.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Second Movement ► 04 - Fourth Movement ► 05 - Fifth Movement

Yaroslav Likhachev Quartet - Occasional Sketches

Label: Clean Feed Records, 2022

Personnel - Yaroslav Likhachev: tenor and soprano saxophone; Yannis Anft: piano; Conrad Noll: bass; Moritz Baranczyk: drums.

The effervescent, Cologne-based saxophonist Yaroslav Likhachev is clearly an inspired improviser but also a talented bandleader and composer, a fact attested by his debut album, Crumbling (JazzHausMusik, 2020), and now by Occasional Sketches, his first recording for Clean Feed. Heralding a compositional transition from one album to another, the saxist takes on even more complexity, bursting into the avant-garde jazz scene with successful results.

He and his dedicated quartet get in gear with “O.S. #3”, whose kinetic rhythm and melodic angularity are interrupted with a more abstract, pensive passage composed of jarred bass abrasions, saxophone multiphonics, softly dizzying pianism, and subdued drumming. Subsequently, we have a passage where improvisation reigns, with Lickhachev and pianist Yannis Anft unleashing phrases that mix classic elements and daring imagination. 

Sandwiched between the opener and “O.S. #2”, whose darker mood and stout-toned tenor inject pathos into the role, we have “O.S. #4”. The latter features a woozy soprano on the loose and pulls influences in no small part from Andrew Hill, Eric Dolphy, Steve Lacy, and Anthony Braxton. German bass player Conrad Noll makes his lines contract and expand by employing efficient pedal points, whereas Anft applies occasional tremolos and whirls during the perfectly-pitched improvisation of the bandleader.

The spunky “O.S.#5” is launched with bass and adds restless drums underneath before a terse sequence of notes and rhythmic figures becomes salient. “O.S. #1” advances in a proud strutting, boasting well turned soprano melodies; whereas “O.S. #7” suggests a firmly grounded ride with no falling off in intensity. It ends up in a thriving mania, encouraging some kind of electro-rock dance. Lastly, “Pre O.S.” takes us to the places where everything began, relying on intricate, fleet solos from tenor and piano.

Rising to the expectation, Likhachev mounts a disc that is refreshing in its efforts to push the envelope and gain new followers. Hence, what you have to do is give it a chance and let the indomitable energy draw you in.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - O.S. #3 ► 02 - O.S.#4 ► 09 - Pre O.S.

Harish Raghavan - In Tense

Label: Whirlwind Recordings, 2022

Personnel - Morgan Guerin: tenor saxophone, EWI, bass clarinet; Joel Ross: vibraphone, marimba; Charles Altura: guitar; Harish Raghavan: acoustic bass; Eric Harland: drums.

The sophomore album from the New York-based bassist and composer Harish Raghavan, In Tense, consists of six originals written with a specific quintet in mind - multi-woodwind player Morgan Guerin, guitarist Charles Altura, vibraphonist Joel Ross and drummer Eric Harland. The musical setting, defined with more composure than heat, manifests a new trajectory in his discography, and we find each musician navigating hills and valleys as if tracking a well-charted course. Here, the contemporary vision remains intact and the musical skills efficient, as demonstrated in his debut, Call for Action, and in sideman appearances with the likes of Ambrose Akinmusire, Walter Smith III and Marquis Hill.

“AMA”, which opens with big bass notes and subtle electronics, feels like an emotionally charged pop/rock song with enough air to breathe, proffering crisp harmonic progressions, fresh melodicism, and a spastic solo by Raghavan. The piece shares some similarities in posture and texture with the title track, which, colored by vibes, features a charismatic guitar solo while diluting most of its tension in subtleness.

The wryly post-bop elegance of “Circus Music”, a tune written in response to our troubled times, unwraps a well-outlined theme with rhythmic accentuation and a slight angular bend. Guerin and Altura, who often work cheek by jolt throughout the record, alternate bars here, applying their clear speeches after a patiently evolving solo by Ross. They reel off again on both “S2020” and the closing “Prayer”. The former invokes the future with a complex theme, carrying a folk innuendo in the melodic proceedings and a straight-eight bass groove that steams things up; the latter, more glamorous than fervent, accelerates in tempo, going funky-ish in the interest of the improvisations before reviving the shininess of the main melody.

“Eight-Thirteen” got its name from the time a minute before Raghavan’s son was born. It’s structured and restructured with changeable passages that don’t require to be strengthened in the flow since the bassist keeps the groove solid and going, always backed by Harland’s conversational drums.

Not all tracks hit us hard or with the same intensity, but with the assistance of musicians with a penchant for exploring sonic terrain, Raghavan builds his own sonic architecture, partly meditative and partly propulsive.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - AMA ► 02 - Circus Music ► 06 - Prayer

Tarbaby feat. Oliver Lake - Dance of the Evil Toys

Label: Clean Feed Records, 2022

Personnel - Orrin Evans: piano; Eric Revis: bass; Nasheet Waits: drums + Guests: Oliver Lake: alto saxophone; Josh Lawrence: trumpet; Dana Murray: percussion (#4).

The new outing from Tarbaby, the acoustic avant-jazz trio co-led by pianist Orrin Evans, bassist Eric Revis and drummer Nasheet Waits, primarily guests the legendary altoist Oliver Lake, and also greets the up-and-coming Josh Lawrence on trumpet and Dana Murray on percussion on selected tunes. Dance of the Evil Toys, their first album for the Clean Feed label, comprises 11 compositions - three by Revis, two by Lake, two collective improvisations, two surprising covers, and one each by Waits and Lawrence.

The album opens with “Blessed One The Eternal Truth” by the soul jazz keyboardist Trudy Pitts, featuring vocals by Evans over a wonderful accompaniment of bass and brushed drums. The pianist brings out a bright chordal sequence in the B section of the tune and his singing becomes more and more captivating. The two following numbers are by Lake: “Bonu” was originally included in the saxophonist duo album with William Parker, To Roy, and later revisited in 2017 by the Trio 3. This current version features Waits at the outset - his command of the kit involves cymbal washes and subdued tom-tom activity - and then Lake, who formulates his melodies with expressive intonation over a protean texture that never rushes but tentatively swells in intensity. His phrases find echoes in his peers’ actions. The other piece is “Bumper”, where the altoist leads by blowing with eloquence, triumphantly backed by a rhythm team that stretches loose with swinging motions and pulsing vitality. Evans is marvelous in his harmonic deconstructions and Waits gets our attention here again with explicit snare maneuvers and unexpected accents.

The composition that gave the album its title is the first of three Revis offerings. As you may recall, this piece was the opening track of Branford Marsalis’ outstanding album The Secret Between the Shadow and the Soul. This straight eight avant-garde expedition can take us anywhere in our mind, and the simultaneous presence of Lawrence and Murray expedites bass perambulations and other fragmented passages with enough tonal inquiries. The trumpeter’s laid-back “Purple” doesn’t distract from the staples the trio defines for itself, and comes fueled by the distinct yet effective articulations of Lawrence and Lake, who blow their horns both separately and combined. Preceding that, Waits’ “Ke-Kelli” revealed as much enigmatic tones as shifting precision, reaching its apex with a stupefying piano solo over a vamping sequence with stately teamwork between bass and drums. 

Tarbaby’s take on Prince’s haunting pop ballad “Sometimes it Snows in April” ends the recording on a soft note. Yet, intuitive players of the highest order like these rarely allow you to rest in their infinite search for something.

Favorite Tracks:
03 - Bumper ► 04 - Dance of the Evil Toys ► 06 - Ke-Kelli

Anteloper - Pink Dolphins

Label: International Anthem, 2022

Personnel - Jaimie Branch: trumpet, electronics, percussion, vocals; Jason Nazary: drums, synth + Jeff Parker: guitar, bass guitar, percussion, synth; Chad Taylor: mbira (#2)

Anteloper is a modern duo of intense improvisers whose versatility and layering capabilities make them sound bigger than a simple duo. The co-leaders, razor-sharped trumpeter Jaimie Branch (Fly or Die) and exciting drummer Jason Nazary (Darius Jones Trio), invited guitarist Jeff Parker (Tortoise) to play in and produce this five-track electro-hop-jazz meets punk-rock album. Pink Dolphins, their third release, is the follow-up to Kudo (2018) and Tour Beats Vol.1 (2020).

“Inia” starts the proceedings by carving out a pinpoint grid of caustic electronics, synth, and snappy drums for a trippy experience. At its crest, we spot Branch’s trumpet lines, which may take the form of coiled freakazoid wires or simply composed observations. With a similar posture, “Baby Bota Halloceanation” alludes to the Wadada Leo Smith type of vibrations but with an abreast rhythmic design that creates shuffling momentum.

Special guest and respected drummer Chad Taylor plays mbira on “Delfin Rosado”, a more tangible piece with an-easy-to-follow melody and an adroit pulse. The approach is, nevertheless, disarming, as they mitigate the chasm between indie rock, electronica, and avant-jazz. These guys do this better than many other outfits around. Like the track I’ve just described, “Earthlings” has the finger of Parker, being very much jazzified by his electric sound. Still, Branch is the one who steals the show with her singing. There’s this irresistible swirling of the drums stitching the texture, a blurry emotional chorus that sounds awesome, and that settlement between the boisterous and the mellow makes it the elected alternative rock tune of the summer.

Clocking in at nearly 15 minutes, “One Living Genus” is the new-psychedelia effort that concludes the album. It comes packed with synth washes and a regular 4/4 rhythm in its early stage; then it bubbles more than crunches with successive doses of flamboyance before prolonging for seven minutes the static atmospheric restraint with which it ends.

This is provocative music for curious ears. Definitely fresh numbers with singular moods and in-context progressive modernity.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Delfin Rosado ► 03 - Earthlings

Kirk Knuffke Trio - Gravity Without Airs

Label: TAO Forms Records, 2022

Personnel - Kirk Knuffke: cornet; Matthew Shipp: piano; Michael Bisio: bass.

Prescinding of drums, the avant-garde cornetist Kirk Knuffke is in very good hands while teaming up with two magnificent explorers from a different generation who have been recording extensively together for years now: pianist Matthew Shipp and bassist Michael Bisio. If the former played with Knuffke for the very first time here, then the latter was featured alongside him in both duo and trio (with cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm) configurations. The program chosen for this double disc CD includes six Knuffke compositions and eight improvised numbers. 

Knuffke’s “Gravity Without Airs”, whose title was taken from Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, opens this recording of the same name with epic chordal movements, digging-deep bass sounds and mesmerizing cornet melodies delivered with impressive tonal range and intervallic elasticity. The players are definitely at the top of their game here, and the grandiosity of their musical imagination is used every second of the tune’s 11:37 minutes to astonish. The album is stronger when it comes to twisty revelations, and this piece, out of nowhere, takes us to staggering rhythms as well as invigorating motions and struts. 

His creative opus proceeds with the improvisation “Stars Go Up”, which, without being explicitly dark, immerses us into a pool of mystery filled with lyrical maturity. Knuffke’s pitched screams clash with the spasmodic contortions of the rhythm section, just like in the modal “The Water Will Win”, an openwork of perplexity and liberation.

“Between Today and May”, a non-cloying ballad written by the bandleader, feels more spiritual than physical, exhibiting beautifully haunting bowed bass and tender piano melodicism. If Bisio sounds fabulous at every pluck of the string in “Birds of Passage”, then Shipp never hesitates in his articulation of cadenced hammered piano clusters whose locomotion winds down progressively. 

Knuffke never fails to generate ideas, stimulated by the groundwork force from his two associates. That fact is perceptible on “Heal the Roses”, where they hit peaks and valleys, full of prep with taut exchanges between cornet and piano. “Shadows to Dance”, for example, plunges into a pleasant reverie but then switches gears, embracing something murkier and menacing for the most of its duration. “Today For Today”, another composition by the cornetist, ends the record with subtle liquid phrasing - more like Chet Baker than Don Cherry - over a palpable and beautiful texture. 

The possibilities of the material are vast and the trio constantly catches and opens our ears with sublime excursions marked by cohesiveness and expansiveness. Gravity Without Airs is a highlight in Knuffke's discography.

Favorite Tracks: 
01 - Gravity Without Airs ► 02 - Stars Go Up ► 03 - Between Today and May ► 08 - The Water Will Win 

Gard Nilssen Acoustic Unity - Elastic Wave

Label: ECM Records, 2022

Personnel - André Roligheten: tenor, soprano and bass saxophones, clarinet; Petter Eldh: acoustic bass; Gard Nilssen: drums.

The fourth album of Norwegian drummer Gard Nilssen’s Acoustic Unity, the first on the ECM Records, doesn’t low the bar set on previous recordings, displaying a well-oiled trio with as much lyricism as rhythmic inventiveness. As habitually happens, multi-reedist André Roligheten and bassist Petter Eldh are in tune with Nilssen’s vision, and the eleven compositions on Elastic Wave succeed one another with tapestries littered with dizzying propulsion and soulfully intoned melodies.

With the opening track, “Altaret”, the trio transpires devotional lyricism, falling into a calm, sweet mode that resonates emphatically with the listener. Before its close, there’s a brushed folk-infused vamp enhancing beautiful brights. Following a similar pathway, “Spending Time with Ludvig”, intertwines folk and avant-garde jazz, recalling the spirituals of Albert Ayler, Pharaoh Sanders, and Archie Shepp. The tune, written for Nilssen’s young son, shapes up and builds momentum through genuine saxophone expressions, dancing basslines, and a highly articulated drum flow.

Another piece rooted in the vernacular of folk and straddling traditions is “The Room Next to Her”, where the deep aphorisms pronounced by the bass saxophone mix with the impeccable tom-tom rumbles and cymbal crashes of the bandleader. This earthly feel contrasts with the ethereal spirituality found on “Lokket til Jon, og skjerfet Paul”, a ballad that honors drummers Jon Christensen and Paul Motian, mentioning their cymbal and scarf, respectively, in the title.

If Eldh’s “Dreignau” enables us to feel the silkiness of the clarinet, a nonuple meter that shifts along the way, and an impeccable ground layer that defines its pulse, then “The Other Village” features Roligheten’s two-horn signature blowing, meaning he plays the tenor and soprano saxes simultaneously. It’s hard not to succumb to accented-themed avant-garde thrusters such as “Influx Delight”, with its tireless bass and drums flow; “Acoustic Dance Music”, which bounds into an energetic hard-swinging motion; and “Boogie”, an upbeat, staccato-delivered romp with a singable melody, and where Eldh and Nilssen keep the groove alive.

Daringly outlined and yet expansive and open, this new collection of compositions shows the ability of three highly articulated speakers to create with equal parts inspiration, responsiveness, and artistry.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Spending Time with Ludvig ► 03 - Dreignau ► 07 - Boogie

Lisbeth Quartett - Release

Label: Intakt Records, 2022

Personnel - Charlotte Greve: alto saxophone; Manuel Schmiedel: piano; Marc Muellbauer: bass; Moritz Baumgärtner: drums.

Release marks the anticipated return of the German Lisbeth Quartett to the studio albums, 13 years after its debut, Grow (Double Moon Records, 2009), and ceasing a five-year hiatus since its latest release, There is Only Make (Traumton Records, 2017). This work, the first for the European Intakt label, generates more elegance than turbulence through eight impeccably written pieces - seven by saxophonist Charlotte Greve and one by bassist Marc Muellbauer - that gain an extraordinary poetic nature in the hands of four musical narrators. 

“Full Circling” is an impassively quiet solo-less piece whose mantric roundness purposely eschews heaviness. The next two tracks demand close listening. “Bayou” is an old song, revisited with a drum recital upfront. Comfortable behind the kit, Moritz Baumgärtner keeps his thing going after pianist Manuel Schmiedel echoes a 12-beat-cycle piano figure with class and groove. Saxophonist and bassist function in parallel, but it all shifts in texture and tempo with astonishing candor. There’s solo piano introspection before Greve’s heartfelt statement announces the curtain-close of a journey that suddenly returns to a streamlined rhythm in the last 30 seconds. Then it's Muellbauer’s “Le Mistral” that arrives, almost touching on a medieval troubadourism and expanding with incisive chordal work, pulsing bass lines that feel as loose as gripping, and tight complex lines delivered in unison by piano and saxophone. A magnetic alto solo with significant discursive range is brought before the main theme.

The emaciated “Ellipsis” spreads both emotional honesty and intimacy, trailed by a beautiful melody that sails across the enchanting accompaniment with lightness. It includes elementary bass pedals, cymbal scintillation, and modal piano intersections characterized by harmonic nuance. With “Arrow”, the trio shows some rhythmic bite, pressurizing the atmosphere with a rock-hard collective commitment, fine solos, and an exciting finale.

Before the short, intangible “Outro” that concludes this strong body of work, there’s the title track, which has Baumgärtner weaving exquisite details and throwing syncopated responses against the serene instrumentation that surrounds him. The last third of the song welcomes an insistent bass pulsation that doesn’t spoil the appealing nature of the song.

This quartet synthesizes their influences in an original way, and the result is a strangely affecting album to be savored many times with a guarantee of newly discovered elements at each listening.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Bayou ► 03 - Le Mistral ► 04 - Ellipsis

Randal Despommier - A Midsummer Odyssey feat. Ben Monder

Label: Sunnyside Records, 2022

Personnel - Randal Despommier: alto saxophone; Ben Monder: guitar.

Randal Despommier, an up-and-coming saxophonist born in New Orleans and based in New York, teams up with guitarist Ben Monder in a rich duo album that comprises nine interpretations of tunes by Swedish baritonist Lars Gullin. A Midsummer Odyssey is the second collaboration between the saxophonist and the guitarist, following their involvement in the former’s debut album Dio C’è (Outside in Music, 2021), which was put together in a sextet configuration. 

The lead-off track is the peculiarly titled “Toka Voka Oka Boka”, which brings a strong sense of Swedish folk and classical poetry in the melody, an atypical time feel, and a gorgeous rock twang in the texture. The capacity for hooking listeners with their tasteful lyricism is present again on “Danny’s Dream”, a ballad written for Gullin’s son, which, despite being more conventional in sound, is subjected to a lush harmonization by Monder. It was thanks to this piece that Despommier first had contact with Gullin’s music in 2005 while studying in Perugia, Italy.

The rubato minor mood of “Mazurka” strikes a perfect balance of wistfulness and comfort. The original piece, included in Gullin’s 1974 album Bluesport, was partly inspired by Chopin. The beautiful sense of melody and storytelling continues with “Dyningar”, a shimmering waltz with an occasional understated touch of bossa nova in the solo guitar section. This Brazilian-derived style is taken further by the radiant “I Min Smala Sang”, which was originally written to accompany a poem by Dutch-born Swedish troubadour Cornelis Vreeswijk.

“I Hope It’s Spring For You” is another well known tune in Sweden due to its linkage to a popular TV series for which it was written. Charlie Parker’s common-law wife, Chan Parker, wrote the lyrics in the ‘70s, but this instrumental version verges on the balladic side, consistent with Monder’s textural moves and Despommier’s sailing facility over the tranquil harmonic seas. The duo also brings their finely-honed telepathy into “Igloo”, whose theme is played in bright unison with some descendant triplets in a fully-colored swinging jazz style. There's more incantation than agitation here.

Despite their distinct personalities, Despommier and Monder pair up very well as they take on the chosen Gullin repertoire with acumen and serenity.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Toka Voka Oka Boka ► 05 - Mazurka ► 06 - Dyningar

Caleb Wheeler Curtis - Heat Map

Label: Imani Records, 2022

Personnel - Caleb Wheeler Curtis: alto and soprano saxophone; Orrin Evans: piano; Eric Revis: bass; Gerald Cleaver: drums.

Excellent compositions and a captivating sound distinguish the new outing from Caleb Wheeler Curtis, an accomplished saxophonist who, with a fine-edged sense of openness, is keen on extraordinary melodies, lean progressions, and ear-catching textures. Heat Map comprises ten originals that started to take shape in 2021, during a four-week MacDowell residency. Curtis wrote them with a monumental lineup in mind: pianist Orrin Evans (a regular collaborator since 2016), bassist Eric Revis (a fellow colleague in Evans’ Captain Black Big Band), and drummer Gerald Cleaver (the saxophonist's new co-conspirator). Each of them is a terrific bandleader and improviser with a huge capacity for catching the moment.

The title cut opens with a poignant introductory piano playing that suggests introspective balladry. However, we are taken somewhere else, abstractly exciting, as a bass pedal and a more restless drumming loom from the ground. Yet, the melody endures. Evans is exquisitely lyrical in his statement, while Curtis infuses tension and firms up the atmosphere with a defiant language that accommodates John Coltrane, Julius Hemphill and Ornette Coleman mannerisms in it.

If the fragile “Trees For the Forest” and the breathable “Limestone” take a plunge inward, then “Surrounding” gives an air of casualty and insouciance, even when expressing its well-worked Ornettian theme. As an option, the staccato-infused “Splinters” conjures an imperative mood of freedom. The improvised discourses by Curtis - who throws in fragmented lines à la Steve Lehman - and Evans contain enough spicy elements to hold our attention throughout.

“Spheres” demonstrates coordination, accentuation, focus, and elasticity in its thematic section, where long notes are set against a nuanced piano ostinato. Support is given via the unbreakable uniformity that stems from the Revis/Cleaver cooperative game. The rhythm team pushes us into another giddy spin with “C(o)urses”, an angular frenzy with delirious figures and circular runs that capture the group’s adventurous spirit. In this case, Curtis’ semi-cacophonous blows ebb over the rhythmic texture, triggering excellent responses from Evans. The pianist is absolutely fantastic on “Trembling”, standing out through a mix of textural gradients, enigmatic chords, and persisting figures. This polyrhythmic effort enables great dramatic passages where the sense of space and motion is extended.

Brimming with mesmeric ideas, these compositions gain insight into multiple depths of field and modern color palettes.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Heat Map ► 05 - Splinters ► 07 - Trembling

Gordon Grdina / Mark Helias / Matthew Shipp - Pathways

Label: Attaboygirl Records, 2022

Personnel - Gordon Grdina: guitar, oud; Mark Helias: bass; Matthew Shipp: piano.

New York-based Canadian guitarist and oud player Gordon Grdina is seen here with bracing partners and stalwarts of the downtown jazz scene, Mark Helias on bass and Matthew Shipp on piano. Pathways, their sophomore album (succeeding to the 2019 Skin and Bones), consists of a fully improvised set of pieces with risk-taking propensity. The result is challenging for the ears but never uncomfortable.

The opener, “Palimpsest” provides a poetic, if duskier, musical experience. Dark and wistful tones take over, with Grdina and Shipp perfectly integrated in a plaintive melancholy, while Helias roams freely, variating intensity and speed. The free diction of “Deep Dive” seems to have kinetic forces pushing it forward, and glimpses of a hidden blues emerge by the end.

With a fabulous interplay and a dazzling assortment of ostinatos, “Trimeter” is a dance from afar with plenty of harmonic coloration and exhilarating crossing rhythms getting underway. The numbers where the oud is present, namely the expressionistic “Synapses” and the concluding piece, “Sanctum”, also cultivate an unconventional language with the help of an exquisite instrumentation. The former cut feels positively revolutionary in its stirring motion, whereas the latter, non-obvious in the moves and alluring in texture, has Grdina looking for those microtones to bend and warp, leaving you with and exquisite feel and atmosphere. These are musicians who are not afraid to travel outside the conventional jazz universes.

Complex phrasal architectures come into view on the deliberately suspenseful title track, which creates enough tension and bendability en route. In the back, Helias is strong as a rock, rolling to the sides with propulsive drive and returning to the point of origin with determination; Shipp asks questions in a particular register and responds to himself in another; Grdina makes the perfect foil for those two, countering with lines that later converge with the pianist’s. Their rhythmic prowess is even more striking on “Flutter”, an abstract mesh with interesting percussive fluxes and appeasing moments alike.

Grdina’s output has been more and more prolific but consistently interesting. This recording cannot be classified as just another.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Palimpsest ► 04 - Trimeter ► 08 - Synapses

Tyshawn Sorey Trio - Mesmerism

Label: Yeros 7 Music Records, 2022

Personnel - Aaron Diehl: piano; Matt Brewer: acoustic bass; Tyshawn Sorey: drums.

Multi-awarded drummer and composer Tyshawn Sorey has several elements in his musical personality that work in his favor. Firstly, he always knows where he wants to go regardless of the context he’s playing; secondly, he’s willing to take risks when making music. With Mesmerism, he pays tribute to some of his influences and dabbles in a couple of inventive reworkings of classics from the Great American Songbook.

The superb playing of the new trio members - Matt Brewer and Aaron Diehl on bass and piano, respectively - substantiates the drummer’s clear success in this effort, which transitions from avant-garde ventures based on complex notated music to a more relaxed setting without losing any creativity. 

The chosen repertoire is tackled with a supreme elegance, lovely detail, as well as disarming originality. It’s a colossally tuneful program that kicks off with Horace Silver’s “Enchantment”, in which the trio shares a natural simpatico. The enveloping sound of Diehl is so enriching, interlacing exquisite clusters of chords with single-note melodies. His pulsing chromaticism gains further expression against Brewer’s bass pedal, which eventually expands. The tempered yet crisp drumming and cymbal luster of Sorey work as a fulcrum between the two other men. Together, they create a lush atmosphere of excitement and reverie.

Over the course of the album, the trio celebrates two other pianists: Muhal Richard Abrams would certainly be proud of this version of “Two Over One”, which was originally presented in his 1976 duo album Sighsong, with bassist Malachi Favors. It’s a catchy waltz overflowing with ideas in an organic balance between the earthly and the spiritual. One can hear something of Bill Evans in it, as cascading waves and occasional piano tremolos find an excellent supportive net on bass and drums. The other is Duke Ellington, whose in-the-pocket “REM Blues” closes the album on a high note.

Sorey plunges into abstraction and stillness with a take on drummer Paul Motian’s “From Time to Time”, whereas the jazz standards “Detour Ahead” and “Autumn Leaves” are crafted with irresistible lyricism and no shortage of surprises. The former is 14+ minutes long and includes a thoughtful bass solo over smooth brushwork in addition to an extended piano statement that gets bluesier and mellower with the time; the latter, extraordinarily transfigured but still recognizable, announces the trio’s faultless command of tempo and texture while exuding a comfortable warmth throughout.

With no need for flash or gratuitous gestures, this is music made with a striking degree of intelligence. Tradition gives a newfound perspective to Sorey’s artistic genius.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Enchantment ► 03 - Autumn Leaves ► 05 - Two Over One

Steve Cardenas / Ben Allison / Ted Nash - Healing Power: the Music of Carla Bley

Label: Sunnyside Records, 2022

Personnel - Steve Cardenas: guitar; Ben Allison: double bass; Ted Nash: tenor and soprano saxophone, clarinet.

The charming drum-less trio of guitarist Steve Cardenas, bassist Ben Allison, and multi-reedist Ted Nash makes a come back with renditions of tunes by the iconic pianist and composer Carla Bley. The nine-track Healing Power is their third installment, following-up to Quiet Revolution (2016) and Somewhere Else: West Side Story Songs (2019), the first of which, featured compositions by groundbreaking jazz guitarist Jim Hall and clarinetist Jimmy Giuffre, an influential duo that inspires their playing.

“Ida Lupino” opens the program with a sensitive touch, having a cadenced bass consistency undergirding Cardenas and Nash’s soloing efforts. Allison also brings his thoughts to the table, just as well as in “Olhos de Gato”, which, given the wonderful treatment, unfolds with poignancy, enchantment, and mystery.

Nash is heard on clarinet in the latter piece, but it's his tenor that comes to sight during the serpentine “Donkey”, which, revealing thematic clarity, has Cardenas catching the tail of the saxophonist's statement and progressing with aplomb. The final interplay is very natural here and includes taut exchanges.

“And Now the Queen” is a rubato ballad with a contemplative narration, but the impeccable interpretation of “Lawns”, one of Bley’s most endearing tunes, is what got our attention as a result of its jaw-dropping beauty. Both “Ictus” and “King Korn” rely on precise coordination of movements, action-reaction dynamics, and high-class polyphony in the latter track. 

“Ad Infinitum” takes the form of a buoyant 3/4 dance, morphing from an Eastern-tinged sumptuosity to a medium swing. It’s filled with blue notes, expedited soprano rides, and bass lines fully immersed in its underlying activity. The album closes eminently bluesy with the title track, a light emitter with skeletal melody, uncluttered surfaces, and purity of sound.

Employing a fascinating assortment of elegant textures and tones, Nash, Cardenas and Allison contribute on equal terms to an album that expresses their respect and love for Bley’s musical artistry.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Donkey ► 05 - Lawns ► 09 - Healing Power 

Heroes Are Gang Leaders - LeAutoRoiOgraphy

Label: 577 Records, 2022

Personnel - Thomas Sayers Ellis: bandleader poet; James Brandon Lewis: tenor saxophone; Devin Brahja Waldman: alto saxophone, synthesizer; Heru Shabaka-ra: trumpet; Bonita Lee Penn: poet; Randall Horton: poet; Nettie Chickering: voice; Jenna Camille: piano, vocals; Melanie Dyer: viola, vocals; Brandon Moses: guitar; Luke Stewart: bass; Warren "Trae" Crudup III: drums.

The newest outing from Heroes Are Gang Leaders consists of previously released material recorded live in Paris. Under the baton of poet Thomas Sayers Ellis, the group delivers five tracks inspired by New Jersey poet-activist Amiri Baraka, whose powerful words toward the Black liberation and racial justice made a difference. All pieces were culled from the 2019 album The Amiri Baraka Sessions, with the exception of bassist Luke Stewart’s “Mista Sippy”, which was first presented on record in 2020, on the album Artificial Happiness Button. This number, initially stripped down to a piano-vocals duo, follows a slow triple tempo while embracing a cool-jazz mood that serves spoken word reason. However, at more than 16 minutes long, it feels stretched beyond what it should be.

The opening piece, “Amina”, was penned by the tenor sensation James Brandon Lewis who took Amiri’s wife as an inspiration. Here, it takes the form of a three-part suite that offers a more enveloping sound than the scattered short stories presented in the studio work. The first section, “The Dutchman’s Three Buttoned Suit” makes for a slow, prayerful entrance with sax and viola, followed by thin layers of keyboard and guitar. This is succeeded by “Poetry iz Labor”, whose ghostly drone functions as a loop. A nicely marked hip-hop feel comes with the piano harmony while the horn players articulate beautifully atop. The sequence ends with a rowdy, free interplay that swells to a catharsis in the the third part, “Forensic Report”.

Another highlight, “LeAutoRoiOgraphy”, pairs up soulfully quiet piano playing and sensitive vocals at the outset. The pianist, Jenna Camille, then charges with a striding cadence in 3/4. She’s joined by the spoken-word poets and singers, the rhythm section, and ultimately the horn players, whose lines skew across in celebratory activity. By the end, the meter changes once again to simple quadruple in a vamp infused with pumped-up energy. The album ends with “Sad Dictator”, motivated by Baraka’s poem Valéry as Dictator. There’s grit in the saxophone and an unfettered eclecticism that unites soul jazz and hip-hop with a sense of whimsy.

Bobbing and weaving through the arrangements, this roster of fascinating musicians continues to run their stylized gamut, from observantly reflective to passionately incendiary. This is a very listenable but not essential recording.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Amina ► 03 - LeAutoRoiOgraphy