Michael Wollny Trio - Ghosts

Label: ACT Records, 2022

Personnel - Michael Wollny: piano; Tim Lefebvre: bass; Eric Schaefer: drums.

With both discipline and freedom stirring up their music, the trio of pianist Michael Wollny accomplishes a lot in Ghosts, their seventh recording for the ACT label. The album pairs the German pianist with stellar foundation builders such as the American bassist Tim Lefebvre, who rejoins his mates eight years after playing in the debut album Welktentraum, and the sensitive drummer Eric Schaefer.

So tastefully put together, this work thrills with variety in the approach and makes certain moments unforgettably special, with the most spectacular examples being “Ghosts”, an exquisite cover of Japan’s 1981 hit made with prepared piano, cymbal legato and electronics; and a rousing rendition of Schubert’s “Erlkonig” enhanced by industrial, classical and avant-garde influences. 

But the trio doles out many other exciting surprises, giving a new life to jazz standards such as the Gershwin-penned “I Loves You, Porgy”, which waltzes as much as it swings in four with jazz and classical touches, and Duke Elligton’s classic “In a Sentimental Mood”. There’s also the Southern gothic rock of Nick Cave’s “Hand of God”, here presented with an adventurous bass cruise at the outset and epic contours as a result of Wollny’s harmonic execution and darting runs; as well as Paul Giovanni’s haunting “Willow’s Song” (from The Wicker Man original soundtrack), which turns like a rarefied, perpetual contemplation with keen piano intervals, beautiful contrasts in tone and color, and a no-sweat vamping at the end. Timber Timbre’s indie folk/rock song “Beat the Drum Slowly”, where the smoothness of some passages dwindles the flow in opposition to the expansive militaristic austerity of others, is also worthy of attentive listening.

Wollny reinforces his astonishing stylistically range with originals. “Hauntology”, is introduced by a vividly articulated piano figure in five, with most of the remaining adorns and coloration coming from the higher register. By comparison, on “Monsters Never Breathe”, he relies on his left hand to produce haunting, low-pitched movements that take place with the impeccable brushwork of Schaefer, whose sound is absolutely delicious.

With interesting tune choices and a penchant for the experimental, Ghosts is unified in a way Wollny’s music hasn’t been so far. It’s a fascinating sonic world that deserves both respect and admiration.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - I Loves You Porgy ► 05 - Ghosts ► 07 - Erlkonig

Clark Sommers Lens - Intertwine

Label: Outside in Music, 2022

Personnel - Geof Bradfield: alto and soprano saxophone, bass clarinet; Chris Madsen: tenor saxophone; Matt Gold: guitar; Clark Sommers: bass; Dana Hall: drums.

In a departure from the trio format of his Ba(Sh) project, American bassist and composer Clark Sommers shifts into a thrilling, top-flight quintet on Intertwine, for which he welcomes two talented saxophonists: longtime collaborator Geof Bradfield and Chris Madsen. Guitarist Matt Gold and drummer Dana Hall complete the lineup, guaranteeing fun at every turn.

The rhythm section prods the soloists - especially the saxophonists whose statements are showcased throughout - while forming the linchpin of Sommer’s compositional aesthetic. Pleading for a better world and with George Floyd’s death in mind, “Also Tomorrow” pairs a melodic folk demeanor with unknotty grooves that shift seamlessly in shape maintaining the three-time feel. Madsen and Bradfield gasp into their horns with narrative purpose and systematic articulation, being followed by Hall, who makes a good use of his percussive malleability. 

“James Marshall”, a dedication to the mighty guitarist Jimi Hendrix, throws disorienting rhythmic accents into the rollin' bluesy rock swagger that serves as a vehicle for Gold’s evocative soloing. Conversely, with “Second Guesses”, the group draws on the jazz tradition with a throw back to the hard-bop era. It opens up for a swinging party and solos, and then there are bars to be traded with the drummer. “Harbor”, a solo bass interlude, makes the bridge between this piece and the introspective “Ancient Voices”, designed tunefully in six with subtle harmonies and bass clarinet at the fore. Switching horns, Bradfield wields the soprano sax with gusto on “Silent Observer”, having just drums as accompaniment. Later on, the piece uncovers its fusion flavor in a cocktail of Latin strut, post-bop enthusiasm, and a fast-paced swinging underpinning.

“Weeks and Weeks” is a dedication to bassist Willie Weeks, who worked with R&B singer Donny Hathaway. The latter’s influence is clear here, a vivid soul-pop delight with a magnetic beat underneath. The album concludes with the breezy title track, which revels in a scintillating bass solo, glistening guitar with confluent melody and chords, and taut exchanges between the saxophone players, who do justice to the album’s title. With Sommers in command of the operations, the collective's efforts yielded favorable results.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Also Tomorrow ► 02 - James Marshall ► 05 - Ancient Voices

Charles Lloyd - Trios: Ocean

Label: Blue Note Records, 2022

Personnel - Charles Lloyd: tenor saxophone, flute; Gerald Clayton: piano; Anthony Wilson: guitar.

The second installment of Charles Lloyd’s Blue Note trio series is here, pairing up the legendary saxophonist with a regular collaborator, pianist Gerald Clayton, and a new associate, guitarist Anthony Wilson. Although Trios: Ocean doesn’t pack a wallop like the inaugural chapter did (Trios: Chapel features guitarist Bill Frisell and bassist Thomas Morgan), it still contains some precious moments that allow you to recognize Lloyd’s top form at 84.

Over the course of four Lloyd originals recorded during pandemic times, they navigate breezy and moderately churning waters with a serious, sensible perspicacity. The get-go “The Lonely One” is immersed in introspection and denotes quiet lyricism, making the transition to “Hagar of the Inuits” in a way that puts the listener on the lookout for something undemanding but sophisticated. In the latter piece, strong folk undertones are loosely thrown in by Lloyd, who stresses his style and spirit by conjuring some other pieces he wrote. We can hear fragments of the marvelous “Dream Weaver”, with Clayton and Wilson first responding with staccato accents in the accompaniment and subsequently finding their own way to interact without messing with each other’s ideas. Their respective solos are underpinned by smooth swing as well as firm pedal points.

The blues in the hands of Lloyd always has a special meaning, and that’s the case with “Jaramillo Blues”, a dedication to painter Virginia Jaramillo and her sculptor husband Daniel Johnson. The sweet, drifting sound of Lloyd’s flute finds Clayton’s melodic finesse and harmonic range, while Wilson opts to cook up something slowly and precise before expanding boundaries with one foot in and the other out.

The record comes to an end with the smooth vibes of “Kuan Yin” (the Chinese goddess of compassion and kindness), which, being seductively balanced in its underlying groove and texture, has Lloyd stirring up emotions at every move on the tenor. His mystic language stimulates Wilson for a remarkable guitar unfolding as well as Clayton, whose tonal riches take the song to a conclusion.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Hagar of the Inuits ► 04 - Kuan Yin

Joshua Redman Quartet - LongGone

Label: Nonesuch Records, 2022

Personnel - Joshua Redman: tenor and soprano saxophone; Brad Mehldau: piano; Christian McBride: bass; Brian Blade: drums.

The album RoundAgain (Nonesuch, 2020) marked the first release from the quartet led by saxophonist Joshua Redman in 26 years. The heavyweights in question - pianist Brad Mehldau, bassist Christian McBride and drummer Brian Blade - loved the experience and were reconvened by Redman for a new outing, LongGone, which features six of his originals: five new compositions and a revisitation of a classic included in his acclaimed album MoodSwing (Warner, 1994).

The album opens with the title track, which, developing in a more traditional vein, doesn’t take the listeners long to realize that these joining forces really sound splendidly. With a nature that nods to the Great American Songbook, the piece showcases full-bodied tenor playing, the force of the bass drive, coruscating drumming, and elegant piano comping. Mehldau’s super-groovy solo ride is particularly ravishing.

The ensemble maintains the high levels on “Disco Ears”, with Redman blowing the main melody on soprano in parallel with Mehldau. The piece moves forward with an invigorating friction that results from their meaningful communion. Yes, you can feel the excitement of disco, but also the mightiness of groovy jazz. Yet, the band never loses its cool. Another song that ingrains deeply in our minds is “Rejoice”, an old spectacle professed live with exultation and joy. It sounds better than ever, combining blues-intoned pride and Americana-inspired groove. The opulent bass figure that marks the pace is immediately supported by Mehldau’s left hand, and the improvs - constructed on top of both hard swinging and funkified motions - are simply hair-raising. Redman excels, cleverly strolling outside and often playing with rhythmic figures.

The rhythm section is also superlative on “Kite Song”, a 7/8 effort introduced by sax alone before the lead lines catch up with pulsating chords and a searching melody. The music takes a turn for the pensive with the sculptural “Statuesque”, whose strong hints of classical are bookended by deep chordal amazement and a tad of arco bass; and it also touches the blues with the waltzing “Ship to Shore”, featuring a top-notch solo by McBride that is as much stimulating as it is logical.

The passionate Redman and his brilliant cohorts continue to seek out creative paths within the limitless possibilities of the jazz universe.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Disco Ears ► 04 - Kite Song ► 06 - Rejoice

Makaya McCraven - In These Times

Label: International Anthem, 2022

Personnel - Greg Ward: alto sax; Irvin Pierce: tenor sax; Marquis Hill: trumpet, flugelhorn; De'Sean Jones: flute; Jeff Parker: guitar; Matt Gold: guitar, baby sitar; Joel Ross: vibraphone, marimba; Brandee Younger: harp; Greg Spero: piano; Rob Clearfield: piano; Macie Stewart: violin; Zara Zaharieva: violin; Marta Sofia Honer: viola; Lia Kohl: cello; Junius Paul: double bass, electric bass, percussion; Makaya McCraven: drums, sampler, percussion, tambourine, baby sitar, synths, kalimba, handclaps, vibraphone, wurlitzer, organ.

The finicky drummer and beat inventor Makaya McCraven has been lauded for his exquisite blend of styles, irresistible moods, and melodies that linger, sending the listener to emotional zones both distinctive and appealing. This new record, In These Times, has 11 tunes providing a spotlight for his entrancing rhythms and adroit arrangements, with soul, jazz, funk, and dub rippling across sonic fabrics woven with the help of an all-star ensemble. 

The title track incorporates an audio excerpt from the Studs Terkel Radio Archive, setting ostinatos against one another before unifying them into a beautiful melody complemented with a phenomenal beat, sweeping harp, and bowed cello. The triple meter flow occasionally shifts to 6/8, and a soulful saxophone solo finds its way to pleasant emotion.

A wide variety of pulses are offered, and if “The Fours” discloses an intense foreign flavor by virtue of stringed instruments and odd, looping rhythms founded on deep and wet drum sounds, then “High Fives”, delivered in five, adds bass sounds and textural guitar for a richer tissue. In contrast, the polyrhythmic “Seventh String” has the soaring flute lines of De'Sean Jones creating contrast with McCraven’s disorienting drumming.

No element feels forced or inappropriate, and “This Place That Place” proudly invests in both fragmentation and coordination, stressed under a peculiar swinging vibe. The easterner “So Obuji” and the regularly riffing “The Title” boast a strong dub feel that gets mixed with soul elements, whereas the boom-bap/boom-boom-bap sequence of “The Knew Untitled” entices the guitarist Jeff Parker for a skillful improvisation pelted with bluesy licks.

McCraven’s elocution is clean, precise, and confident, reaching expressions that practically demand to be heard and felt. This is an album that is alive with revelatory emotion and a tonal quality that reveals a serious commitment to his message and art.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - In These Times ► 02 - The Fours ► 10 - The Knew Untitled

Angelica Sanchez Trio - Sparkle Beings

Label: Sunnyside Records, 2022

Personnel - Angelica Sanchez: piano; Michael Formanek: bass; Billy Hart: drums.

Plenty of introspective moments are found in Sparkle Beings, the new trio outing by the adventurous pianist Angelica Sanchez. This intimate set features a couple of collective improvisations and newfound interpretations of noteworthy tunes by influential pianists like Duke Ellington, Cecil Taylor, Mary Lou Williams, and Mario Ruiz Armengol. Completely aligned with the pianist’s vibes and moods is the bassist Michael Formanek, a longtime collaborator, and the veteran drummer Billy Hart, who, for the first time, helps to add depth and texture to one of her recordings.

“A Fungus Amungus” is an enticing opener kept constantly in motion. Composed by Mary Lou Williams, this piece gets a thorough thematic delineation, with the piano in communion with erudite bass lines and conversational tom-toms. Formanek’s solo comes upfront, followed by fragmented piano phrases and runs consisting of unpredictable, shifting intervals and harmonies. For the final section, a motivic vamp arises with energetic fields dancing around its core.

Both “Generational Bonds”, which is completely improvised, and “Phantasmic Friends” adopt a more reserved posture that is also detected on Cecil Taylor’s “With (Exit)”, a tune first encountered on the 1968 Blue Note album Conquistador! For this variant, they managed to maintain its quasi-epic look with a low-key treatment.

The pensive mood and comfortable atmosphere are prolonged into the first moments of the title track, a 15-minute excursion launched by Hart’s percussive wonders. This quiet deliberation gives way to a strutting section where the bass and the piano walk arm in arm. Subsequently, the sounds get more abrasive, leading to notes colliding at surprising angles and maniacally repeated figures uttered with more grace than flamboyance.

The closer, “Before Sleep / The Sleeping Lady and the Giant That Watches Over Her” consists of a Sanchez-penned interlude that calls for Duke Ellington’s lush tune taken from his Latin American Suite (Fantasy Records, 1972). It’s the most immediately relatable piece on the album; not just due to the light that emits but also because the threesome squeezes distinct, innate ideas into a narrative that coheres. There’s more than one opportunity for Formanek to speak out, both unaccompanied and assisted, and the piece proceeds into a soulful, lyrical passage with the melodic charisma of an indelible pop song.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - A Fungus Amungus ► 06 - Sparkle Beings ► 07 - Before Sleep / The Sleeping Lady and the Giant That Watches Over Her

The Bad Plus - The Bad Plus

Label: Edition Records, 2022

Personnel - Chris Speed: tenor saxophone, clarinet; Ben Monder: guitar; Reid Anderson: bass; Dave King: drums.

After 21 years of activity, the sensational contemporary trio The Bad Plus releases its eponymous, 15th studio album with a new lineup that, prescinding from piano, includes the progressive guitarist Ben Monder (David Bowie, Paul Motion Band) and the constructive saxophonist and clarinetist Chris Speed (The Claudia Quintet, Tim Berne’s Bloodcount). This new alliance, forced by the step down of pianist Orrin Evans, is embraced by the co-founders - bassist Reid Anderson and drummer Dave King - with great spirit and excitement, staking out a new musical direction that, besides imperiously modern, is sonically impactful.

Rounding its edges at every 24-beat cycle, “Motivations II” makes for a marvelous starting point. Monder’s phenomenal guitar playing infuses depth and creates ambience; Reid and King demonstrate an excellent rapport through the unwavering cadenced groove; and Speed blows soberly throughout, working for the sake of the song rather than individual ambition. More defiant in the rhythm and melody, King’s “Sun Wall” challenges our ears with a 7/4 meter signature, disclosing affinities for art rock, neo-psychedelia, and hard rock. The clear-toned saxophone works well with the crunchy guitar, and we have a memorable if eccentric improvisation by Monder over the explorative rhythmic investigations of King, who, no matter what, never loses the pulse of things.

Etched by propulsive drum slams, “Not Even Close to Far Off” has its light and dark sides organically melded as the group sonically integrates punk attitude and specks of metal. Speed is the soloist in evidence on this occasion. Another King-penned cut with a jagged edge is “Sick Fire”, where an intricate avant-garde jazz intersects with prog-rock, resulting in plenty of angularity, experimental flair, and risk-taking improv. On the latter, guitar and saxophone overlap with wide tonal range on top of a powerful and uninterrupted bass/drums current.

It’s clear that Anderson’s compositions are less rock-oriented and more atmospherically designed. In addition to the above-mentioned opener, the bassist contributed “You Won’t See Me Before I Come Back”, a luminous ballad with no room for obscurity; “Stygian Pools”, whose supplicatory poignancy turns easily into affection; and “In the Bright Future”, in which a straight eight groove provides expansion to a more intimate and spiritual start. To conclude, King’s “The Dandy” combines the crisp pop/rock art of Fleetwood Mac and The Go-Betweens with bits of Primal Scream’s psychedelia. Balance rules, and it all works.

Not too ‘out’ and not too ‘in’, this work shows the group evolving, advancing their stellar past material. Seldom or even at no time, had the fans an opportunity to hear such a thing. It’s one of the year’s highlights to explore repeatedly and in depth.

Favorite Tracks: 
01 - Motivations II ► 02 - Sun Wall ► 03 - Not Even Close to Far Off

Clemens Kuratle Ydivide - Lumumba

Label: Intakt Records, 2022

Personnel - Dee Byrne: alto saxophone; Chris Guilfoyle: guitar; Elliot Galvin: piano, electronics; Lukas Traxel: bass; Clemens Kuratle: drums, electronics.

This debut album by the up-and-coming Swiss drummer and composer Clemens Kuratle deserves attention. Not just for the well-constructed music itself but also for the socio-political vision (and emotions associated with it) on inequality, power, war, and climate. With this purpose in mind, he pairs down with four cohorts from the British, Irish and Swiss jazz scenes who share a similar taste for structured frameworks and unfettered improvisation. 

Ydivide (‘why divide’) tackles seven Kuratle compositions and a completely improvised piece. The quintet sizzles right out of the gate with “Lumumba”, a tune inspired by RD Congo's former prime minister Patrice Lumumba. A solid figure in five is expeditely thrown in by the hand of the drummer, shifting to a slower, marching 4/4 flux that serves the theme. Guitarist Chris Guilfoyle brings his fretboard skills to the fore, after which an odd-metered groove with plenty of displacement chops is installed. It's an invitation to saxophonist Dee Byrne to channel her inner energy through a proficient solo.

Pianist Elliot Galvin introduces “Another One For Rose”, whose subsequent textural counterpoint leads to a crest of rock power set with brawny drum gushes and distorted guitar. Another high point is “Bwegshit”, a trenchant criticism of England’s Brexit, which includes a caustic drone as premature backdrop, a transient sudden explosion, intricate accents, and syncopated rhythms. The piano solo is strong, providing impetus for Kuratle’s patterned cymbals; it's followed by a saxophone vortex at the tag.

The group shows to have a gift for understatement when necessary, and “Marvelling” proves it with minimalist sculpting and soft tones. This number contrasts with the freeish agitation and electronics that randomly navigate “They Haven’t Learned Anything”. A tighter snare drum demarcation points out a more defined path that leads us directly to the vamping “No Cynicism”. The album is concluded with “Optimism”, where we find a happy communion between winding folk and modern post-bop.

There’s outside-the-box composing and playing on Lumumba. A sheer breadth of sound remarkably put together by a group that has a word to say in a not less resonant European jazz scene.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Lumumba ► 02 - Another One For Rose ► 06 - Bwegshit

Enrico Rava / Fred Hersch - The Song is You

Label: ECM Records, 2022

Personnel - Enrico Rava: flugelhorn; Fred Hersch: piano. 

Italian trumpeter and flugelhornist Enrico Rava and American pianist Fred Hersch have been performing in a variety of settings for more than five decades, showing a particular fondness for the duo format. Rava paired up with other pianists in the past such as Enrico Pieranunzi, Ran Blake, and Stefano Bollani, whereas Hersch established duo associations with vocalist Jay Clayton, guitarist Bill Frisell, reedist Michael Moore, and trumpeter Ralph Alessi. The Song is You marks their first musical encounter on record, as well as Hersch's first appearance on the ECM Records. 

With the natural ability to find their own spaces, the duo embarks on a set of ballad standards, one casual improvisation, and one original from each musician. They belt the poignant Brazilian poem “Retrato em Branco e Preto” - composed by Tom Jobim and Chico Buarque - with that genuine pathos that serves so well the emotionally driven style of Rava. Hersch is pretty efficient both in his harmonic choices and improvised abandonment. The following number, “Improvisation”, is exactly what the title suggests. They opt not to speed up, maintaining a similar flow of the aforementioned song but going motivic in the communication.

Hersch’s mature original “Child’s Song” was written for the late bassist Charlie Haden and plays like a lullaby smoothed out by beautiful melody. In turn, Rava’s “The Trial”, formerly included on the albums Noir (1996) and Happiness is (2003), lets us realize that a rich sound can have a light touch.

Regardless of the originals added, Rava and Hersch don’t take particularly new directions here, but their interpretation of standards always brings subtle variations and transformative ideas to the table. This is the case with the stripped-down version of “I’m Getting Sentimental Over You”, which rises into staccato piano comping and unabashed brass emotion; and “The Song is You”, another ballad that goes abstract up to a point in its denouement. The infrequent risk-taking factor is still spotted on Monk’s classic “Misterioso”, a ride that, going from quiet to playful, has Hersch exploring wonderful intervals and chord sequences around which Rava’s horn hovers and darts with poise. The album is finalized in solo piano mode with “Round Midnight”, another paradigmatic tune drawn from Monk’s repertoire.

This is not a mandatory listening, but a competent jazz recording with a few intimate musical moments to admire.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Retrato em Branco e Preto ► 03 - I’m Getting Sentimental Over You ► 04 - The Song is You

Zurich Jazz Orchestra & Steffen Schorn - To My Beloved Ones

Label: Mons Records, 2022

Personnel includes: Steffen Schorn: C-melody saxophone, contraalto clarinet, composition; Thomas Luthi: tenor saxophone; Reto Anneler: alto saxophone; Lucas Heuss: alto clarinet; Adrian Weber: trombone; Raphael Kalt: trumpet; René Mosele: bass trumpet; Theo Kapilidis: guitar; Gregor Muller: piano; Patrick Sommer: acoustic bass, E-bass; Pius Baschnagel: drums, percussion, and more.

To My Beloved Ones, the third installment in the trilogy of the Zurich Jazz Orchestra’s recordings of music by saxophonist and composer Steffen Schorn, has everything in the right place, making the sounds glow with an air of collective consciousness.

The opening cut, “Tango”, deceives due to its title, since it’s more a cross-pollination of different rhythmic flavors than really a tango. It starts with sax and guitar in parallel but it’s the horn that takes the lead, navigating with softness and mystery an impressively tuneful backdrop that feels spongy and sweetly melodic. At the minute 5:20 everything is transformed, and the band enters into Brazilian territory with a contagious rhythm that motivates two brass solos in a row - René Mosele on bass trumpet and Raphael Kalt on trumpet. The final section takes another turn, playing like a carnival parade full of rhythm and color. For a moment, a fleet electric guitar stands out amid the forest of horns.

Inspired by the beautiful Greek island of Crete, “Die Tochter des Tyrannen” has a pronounced folkloric quality to it. Delivered in seven with fluid Eastern dynamics, the piece is a showcase for guitarist Theo Kapilidis, who feels totally at home. Conversely, “For Me Is Just Now Anytime” is an athletic waltz dedicated to Steffen’s wife, the cellist Ulrike Zavelberg. With no signs of warp, the fine collective moments surpass those of improvisation. 

Featuring three saxophonists engaged in a conversation where every note seems independent and broad, “Käpt’n Blaubär" was inspired by the book The 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Bluebear by German writer and cartoonist Walter Moers. It takes a quintuple time flow and an occasional bluesy strike to evoke the adventurous and imaginative tones of the story. 

The album is completed with the enchanting title track, which, perceived as a figurative painting with graceful notions of form and space, features Steffen Schorn on C-melody saxophone pairing up nicely with pianist Gregor Muller. Tension and release with long exposition and shortcuts alike, give the album an elegant final touch. 
With notes colliding and harmonizing, the album pays handsome dividends for those looking for orchestral sumptuousness.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Tango ► 04 - Käpt’n Blaubär ► 05 - To My Beloved Ones

More Better Quartet - More Better

Label: Self-released, 2022

Personnel - Miles Keingstein: trumpet; Declan Sheehy-Moss: tenor saxophone; Samantha Reiss: bass;  Alex Yoo: drums.

Hailing from New York, the piano-less More Better Quartet is especially drawn to an improvisation-charged jazz in the line of Ornette Coleman and Old and New Dreams. Although not being exactly free, abundant moments of freedom are found on their eponymous debut album, which encompasses eight tight-knit compositions modernized with electronics and effects.

“Keepin It” makes for a great opener with a calypso-like groove whose bass figure is reiterated at every 12-beat cycle. It morphs into a 4/4 tempo to provide a different ground to the horn players - trumpeter Miles Keingstein and tenorist Declan Sheehy-Moss - who weave their free blowing style with a strong sense of melody. Yet, and this is particularly noticeable when we hear the saxophonist, the phrases are eked out with effective inside and outside routines. The piece gets playfully bluesy right before the reinstatement of that groove where everything started.

Drummer Alex Yoo stands out in the next couple of tunes. On the idyllic “Ignorance is Bliss”, his brushwork dances alongside earthy bass plucks and vertical slides offered by the bassist Samantha Reiss, whereas on “Untitled 04", he sturdily applies a few chops at the outset, anticipating the breezy melody, some fine Latin accents in the rhythm (the B section evoking Cedar Walton’s “Bolivia”), and another pair of solos by the frontline architects.

The quartet keeps the lively energy well in hand on “Public Alley”, where they dive headfirst into a frenetic swing, and “Dr. Jackle”, where they champion hard-bop and free bop with a graceful sync and electronic distortion. The effects and electronics are not much of an asset both on “Concoction”, which, under buzzing noises and gently blurred tones, has a rippling current that doesn’t change much; and “Forgotten”, whose insouciant spirit includes bowed bass and discontinuous drumming.

Firmly performed, this album breathes life with an adventurous, if familiar, posture that showcases the quartet’s tight musical communication.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Keepin It ► 02 - Ignorance is a Bliss ► 03 - Untitled

Tobias Hoffmann Jazz Orchestra - Conspiracy

Label: Mons Records, 2022

Personnel includes - Tobias Hoffmann: composer; conductor; Patrick Dunst: alto and soprano sax, flute; Andy Schofield: alto sax, clarinet, flute; Robert Unterköfler: tenor and soprano sax, clarinet; Martin Harms: tenor sax, clarinet; Robert Bachner: trombone, euphonium; Jonas Brinckmann: baritone sax, bass clarinet; Jakob Helling: trumpet, flugelhorn; Kasperi Sarikoski: trombone; Vilkka Wahl: guitar; Philipp Nykrin; piano; Ivar Roban Krizic: acoustic and electric bass; Reinhold Schmölzer: drums, electronics, and more.

Tobias Hoffmann is a skilled bandleader, saxophonist, and modern composer born in Germany, whose work could be admired in the Vienna Spittelberg Jazz Orchestra from 2014 to 2017. Following Retrospective, an interesting work for nonet, he now conducts an 18-piece aggregation that swells and sprawls with potent compositions favoring musical interchange and organic unity. 

Sparkling with color while sonically addressing the dangers of conspiracy theories, “Conspiracy”, which gave the album its name, is delivered at full force. It boasts a functional contemporary layout and resoluteness in the arrangement, which includes intricate tempos, challenging beat-cycle vamps and a tangible tenor saxophone solo unleashed by Robert Unterköfler.

Some pieces incorporate rock elements into the marrow of his style. This is the case of “Relentless”, which, bold in the pulse, revels in unisons, counterpoint, shifting passages and meter. It also squeezes in the most adventurous saxophone solo on the record, perfused with unpredictable intervals and resonant timbre by altoist Patrick Dunst. Another example is the closer, “Who Knows”, a danceable 4/4 jazz-rock number fueled by guitarist Vilkka Wahl, who strikes with a fusion-soaked improvisation upfront.

“Awakening” maintains a heartfelt, ruminative mood in its strangely familiar progression after a smooth introduction populated with strings and reeds. The pathos is endorsed by flugelhorn player Jakob Helling, but there’s a more optimistic grit as the time advances. By a contrasting effect and owing much to tradition, we have “December Song”, a soul-strutting piece inspired by Vince Mendoza, and “Trailblazers”, a fluid blues progression in six that pays homage to the legends of jazz. The latter grooves high with Jonas Brinckmann and Kasperi Sarikoski, on baritone sax and trombone, respectively.

This sort of ritual of transformation keeps going with the Darcy James Argue-influenced “Renegade”, a slow burn in nine with such a groove firmly in place. With the following number, “Impostor Syndrome”, the band propels the music forward again with a rollicking mass of horns, but also concedes a thoughtful unaccompanied passage for Austrian pianist Philipp Nykrin.
Hoffmann promotes a solid group ethos throughout this tautly constructed program.

Favorite Tracks: 
01 - Conspiracy ► 05 - Relentless ► 08 - Impostor Syndrome

Triio - Six-ish Plateaus

Label: Elastic Recordings, 2022

Personnel - Bea Labikova: alto and soprano saxophone; Naomi McCarroll-Butler: clarinet, bass clarinet, alto saxophone; Tom Fleming: guitar; Michael Davidson: vibraphone; Alex Fournier: double bass; Stefan Hegerat: drums.

Alex Fournier, a supple bassist and excellent composer from Ontario, Canada, leads his galvanizing sextet Triio in this impressive follow-up to their debut album released in 2019. The 5-track program of originals, whose sounds carve into your skin and mind with a complexity that feels human, not mechanical, comes filled with sly rhythms and distinguished avant-garde traits that don’t adhere to conventional patterns. 

Vouching for a perfect balance between robustness and refinement, as well as empathic accompaniments with fine solos atop, the group first attacks with “An Intrepid Toad”, alluring us to its rhythm and calling our attention to a well-oiled improvisation with inside out distortions by guitarist Tom Fleming. He’s followed by altoist Naomi McCarroll-Butler, who expresses her thoughts over a less dense substratum.

Being as much pointed as it is charming, the title track, “Six-ish Plateaus”, starts off with a free posture in a funny conversational mode, but reveals a shapeshifting character over the course of its eight-and-a-half minutes. It gains an identifiable configuration before the minute two, alternating patterned odd-metered cycles with a rock-infused 4/4 drive. The energy is cut back for a moment, claiming repose with a passage delimited by vibraphone, guitar and bass. The final section has Fournier and drummer Stefan Hegerat engaging in a dazzlingly crisp rhythmic drive with reedists Bea Labikova and McCarroll-Butler whirling in parallel motion.

Also with considerable twists along its structure, the funnily titled “Saltlick City” documents labyrinthine paths while displaying fair amounts of melody, ostinatos, and imaginative rhythms. Gutsy drumming with nice beat displacements during an odd-metered cycle; bowed bass and the horns in close proximity, triggering multi-rhythmic responses from vibraphone and drums; intoxicating solos from alto sax and bass clarinet - all take part in the mercurial temperament of the piece.

Fournier’s music can bend and bruise but can also meditate and sooth. Examples are the unhurried “Aneda/Agenda”, whose relentless curvatures and sharp corners feel like a crossing between Bobby Hutcherson and Sam Rivers; and “Tragic Leisure”, which indulges in a lethargic abstraction.  Both these pieces radiate energy in their last segments with just enough of a crisp edge, especially the latter, which swings and rocks simultaneously. 

Profuse in ideas, these compositions are strong enough to stand up proudly in the modern jazz sphere. Fournier and his group rightfully deserve acclaim as their sound evolve significantly.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - An Intrepid Toad ► 02 - Six-ish Plateaus ► 05 - Saltlick City

Mattias Risbergs Mining - Krantzkommun

Label: Kullen Reko, 2022

Personnel - Mattias Risberg: keyboards, composition, lyrics; Jennie Abrahamson: vocals; Sten Sandell: voice, recitation; Fredrik Ljungkvist: saxophone, clarinet; Per Texas Johansson: saxophone, bass clarinet, bassoon, oboe; David Stackenäs: guitar; Stina Hellberg Agback: harp; Eva Lindal: violin; Josefin Runsteen: violin, viola, mallets, percussion; Dan Berglund: bass; Jon Fält: drums.

Krantzkommun, a multifaceted opus where several genres are entwined, is the last installment of Mattias Risbergs Mining trilogy, which started in 2019 with Live in Stripa and continued in 2020 with Zauberberg. The septet featured in the first two acts is expanded into an 11-piece ensemble here, allowing for a peculiar instrumentation with extra reeds and strings, recitation, and harp. Risberg keeps setting down his memories of Bergslagen, the historical Swedish mining district where he grew up.

Combining English lyrics and Swedish recitation, the album kicks off with “Overstyr”, whose percussive noise, abrupt interruptions (giving place to a mix of prog-rock and cabaret music), as well as impetuous guitar and synth stabs give an idea of what to expect next. Over this provocative fusion, we have Jennie Abrahamson’s vocals and the deep recitation of Sten Sandell creating a swelling, eerie atmosphere. It all ends up in a classical pool of serene strings. The title track - worthy of both popular burlesque and riotous proto-punk performance - relies on a vigorous rhythm that alternates with quieter vocal passages. You can think of it as an elaborate fusion of hard and sophisticated rock approaches (Rammstein, Can, and Kate Bush come to mind) and experimental avant-garde sounds to which the horns contribute actively.

With harp, keyboards and strings at the center, the cinematic “Flee” feels achingly lyrical in an almost surreal way. It shares some musical qualities with the enigmatic “Extend”, which doesn’t hide the influence of Kate Bush in the narrative. It also doesn’t get anywhere near the dynamic pulsation of the following chapter, “Ping Pong”, whose syncopated patterns contrast with a more playful pop/rock side, or even the concluding track, “Who Needs a Story”. This latter piece is launched in nine, morphing into a propulsive triple time flow when accommodating the horns. The last section is powerful, built in ecstasy, with the phrase “the mine is mine” being throbbingly repeated.

Krantzkommun is an ardent work rather than coldly metallic. Being personal and bold in the conception, it’s so unlike any other music being made at the moment that it will certainly put some listeners into a kind of trance.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Krantzkommun ► 05 - Ping Pong ► 09 - Who Needs a Story

Yako Trio - OdesSea

Label: Fair Weather Friends Records, 2022

Personnel - Leandros Pasias: piano; Vangelis Vrachnos: double bass; George Klountzos Chrysidis: drums + Guests: James Wylie: alto saxophone (#1,3,5,6); Nicolas Masson: tenor and soprano saxophone (#2,4).

Paying homage to the sea, the Yako Trio shows considerable musical malleability on their sophomore album OdesSea. The follow up to their self-released debut Ode to Yannis (2018), which paid tribute to the late Greek composer Yannis Konstantinidis, is made of six diversified tunes that, influenced by jazz and classical idioms, evokes the mercurial temperament of the trio formed in Thessaloniki, Greece, by pianist Leandros Pasias, bassist Vangelis Vrachnos, and drummer George Klountzos Chrysidis. 

Heavily invested in an upbeat post-bop and delivered in a winged 3/4 tempo, “The Call” opens the album with modal brilliance, showing that Pasias’ writing is not pedestrian. Guesting on this one to steal the show is the New Zealander saxophonist James Wylie, a member of Anna Webber’s septet Percussive Mechanics. His outside incursions and zigzagging maneuvers find a continuous harmonic track in the fluidity of the piano playing. An unaccompanied bass statement winds up with a pedal point, transitioning to an ecstatic finale where the saxophonist flanks his spiked-punch phrases with long, stunningly timbral one-note blows.

The title track is percussively stable, cooked with restraint despite the dynamic soprano solo by Swiss saxist Nicolas Masson, who switches to tenor on the Vrachnos-penned “Sand”, a ballad with emotional heft. Navigating a completely different wavelength, “Afromacedonian Dance”, another piece by the bassist, explores non-Western sounds with the gravitational pull of a 15-beat bass groove that defines its smooth dancing quality. Wylie dialogues with Pasias, before Vrachnos and Chrysidis enhance their parts.

With less individualism and more collectivism, “Indian Dream” calmly develops in seven, spreading a gentle breeze that involves us earnestly. However, Wylie steps forward, cascading lyrically over the swelling texture of the song’s last segment. The album closes with Pasias’ “Lullaby”, a fragile song driven by subtle brushwork and economic, if well-measured, bass plucks.

This is a very satisfying set by a trio that pushes itself to fertile territories with firm-footing consistency and modern taste.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - The Call ► 03 - Afromacedonian Dance ► 05 - Indian Dream

Shawn Lovato - Microcosms

Label: ears&eyes Records, 2022

Personnel - Shawn Lovato: bass, composition; Michael Attias: alto saxophone; Patti Kilroy: violin; Hannis Brown: guitar; Santiago Leibson: piano; Vinnie Sperrazza: drums; Colin Hinton percussion.

This commissioned opus composed by bassist/composer Shawn Lovato is structurally interesting, blurring the line between composition and improvisation with an up-to-date vision. The eight parts of the suite take us from the abstract to the concrete and were designed for a septet that integrates Lovato’s concert trio mates in Hotel Elefant - guitarist Hannis Brown and violinist Patti Kilroy - and New York-based jazz improvisers of the first order such as saxophonist Michael Attias, keyboardist Santiago Leibson, and drummers Vinnie Sperrazza and Colin Hinton.

The bandleader gets things cooking right away with some enigmatic vibes in the opener “Microcosms (opening)”. At first you hear deep arco bass playing, flimsy saxophone vibration, inscrutable violin screeches, a slightly eerie piano ebb and flow, and warped guitar contortions. The texture is later supplemented with drums, slowing down again when thoughtful bass plucks make a bed for Attias’ altissimo circular notes and terse phrases. The saxophonist has the word on “Modular Ascension”, choosing his idioms with freedom and getting suitable feedback from Leibson. The complex rhythm is driven nicely here, but the group also swings unabashedly, enjoying a more familiar jazz atmosphere.

Guitar and violin are preponderant on “Serenity Amid Absurdity”, which goes from a nearly transcendental Eastern psychedelia to a contrapuntal abstract setting that is far more serene and composed. Its last segment brings everyone together in a contrast of rhythms that creates considerable internal tension.

Sperrazza plays a tightly weaved solo drum part at the outset of “Splitting Hairs Part I”, which evolves into a collective dirge with the help of Leibson’s underpinning. The last section of “Splitting Hairs Part II” is even more exciting with Attias blowing his horn convincingly against a controlled cadenza.

With a well-measured melodic cell concept at the base, “Splitting Atoms I” has Lovato’s bandmates responding with stellar playing to his compositional challenges. They absolutely float free, but with violin, guitar and glockenspiel standing out in close communication. Before “Microcosms (closing)” finishes the cycle in a sort of classical chamber mode, Lovato claims the deserved spotlight on “Splitting Atoms II”, an unaccompanied bass effort. 

There’s a fresh, unmannered feel in these tangled septet explorations devised with considerable room for individual expression. Many other avenues may be beckoning for Lovato’s talents, and it will be interesting to see what he does next. 

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Microcosms (opening) ► 02 - Modular Ascension ► 06 - Splitting Atoms I

Julia Hulsmann Quartet - The Next Door

Label: ECM Records, 2022

Personnel - Uli Kempendorff: tenor saxophone; Julia Hulsmann: piano; Marc Muellbauer: double bass; Heinrich Kobberling: drums.

The Julia Hulsmann Quartet is one of the most reliable jazz projects that hails from Germany. The pianist reassembles her excellent quartet for The Next Door, the follow-up to the well-received Not Far From Here (ECM, 2019), after spending considerable time on tour with them. The program consists of originals by each of the members plus a sweet rendition of “Sometimes it Snows in April” by Prince, here expressed with a similar unpressurized atmosphere that characterizes the original version.

Delicately churning, “Empty Hands” feels like a rainy dawn illuminated by a golden ray of light. A hopeful 14-beat piano ostinato gives it a solid texture, and the statements from Hulsmann - who composed it - and saxophonist Uli Kempendorff toggle between winding and breathable. The pianist also wrote the following piece, “Made of Wood”, which, denoting a less floaty quality, is underlined by a nicely swinging flow that recalls Carla Bley and Steve Swallow. Exhibiting discipline in the composition and intuition in the interplay, “Fluid”, another highlight by Hulsmann, sounds exactly as the title suggests. It goes from rubato to polyrhythmic to expandable, invariably driven by a powerful sense of communication.

A definitive testament to the empathy among the group members is Kempendorf’s “Open Up”, a slippery, chromatically agile post-bop-meets-avant-jazz number with a notated bass part, classy swinging quality, and angular deflection. I’m pretty sure the result would please as  much Joe Lovano as Anthony Braxton. 

“Post Post Post” arrives by the pen of drummer Heinrich Kobberling, playing like a nocturne while interlacing poignant and delicate tones with a sextuple meter feel. In turn, “Wasp at the Window” features bassist Marc Muellbauer in an intervallic-wise bass intro, before pinning a supple groove in nine that, occasionally speeding up, shields the whole piece. Besides the tune I just mentioned, the bassist also contributes the pacifying “Valdemossa”, a piece based on the harmony of Chopin’s “Prelude no. 4 in E minor”. With a refreshing new melody navigating the chords, the song invites us to picture agreeable landscapes filled with abundant color. 

Whether compressing or loosening up elements, the music of Hulsmann and her peers is a strikingly precise affair.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Empty Hands ► 08 - Open Up ► 11 - Fluid

Keefe Jackson / Oscar Jan Hoogland / Joshua Abrams / Mikel Avery - These Things Happen

Label: Astral Spirits Records, 2022

Personnel - Keefe Jackson - tenor and sopranino saxophone; Oscar Jan Hoogland: piano; Joshua Abrams: double bass; Mikel Patrick Avery: drums.

This wonderful quartet - a cooperative association between the skilled Amsterdam-based pianist Oscar Jan Hoogland and three multifaceted members of the Chicago jazz scene, saxophonist Keefe Jackson, bassist Joshua Abrams, and drummer Mikel Patrick Avery (now based in Philadelphia) - has the capacity to reinvent classic tunes from Thelonious Monk, Herbie Nichols, and Dewey Redman with excitement and accessibility without sounding repetitive or outdated. Comprising six grown-up tracks, These Things Happen is a concise work that, without stretching past the 22-minute mark, includes two original compositions by the pianist.

Implemented with polyrhythmic zest, a fine marching-like strut, and shifting meter ability, Monk’s inevitable “Epistrophy” sets a scalding hot temperature from the start. Jackson combines magnitude and winning aesthetics in his phrasing, obtaining clever commentary from Hoogland, whose tradition-steeped pianism is dazzlingly beautiful. There’s more Monk and “Bemsha Swing”, here modified to look like a sketchy, explorative, and charmingly abstract murmuration.  

Dewey Redman’s “Gotta Get Some Sleep” first appeared on Keith Jarrett’s 1970 quartet album Bop-Be (the lineup was rounded out with Charlie Haden and Paul Motian), getting his dose of innovation here through fragmentation, melodic wooziness, buzzing sounds, drones, and circular patterns. It simmers without reaching hyper-activity, staying from from the swaying, swooning and unique groove of Herbie Nichols’ gem “The Happenings”. Taking advantage of a cohesive and focused rhythm section, Jackson excels in this latter tune with an absolutely breathtaking drive. He’s followed by Abrams, who employs portions of the stunning main melody as reference points to expand his solo. 

The record wouldn't be the same without Hoogland’s two originals: the soulful and quiet “Wimpel” passes the idea of making peace with itself by bringing back an old idea, reshape it with a newfound energy, and then moving on. “Aanhanghuis” was the perfect choice to close an outstanding set. Jackson goes to exotic places while convincingly blowing the sopranino sax, and his deliberate out-of-focus construction and catchy hooks are much welcome in a piece that marries avant-jazz angles and swinging motion. Hoogland, in turn, explores different ranges on the keyboard, going effortlessly and blithely from low to high registers.

Rich in melodic material and with maturity in both the arrangements (by the pianist) and impromptu speeches, These Things Happen benefits from the open-mindedness and extraordinary energy of all four players.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Epistrophy ► 04 - The Happenings ► 06 - Aanhanghuis

Jon Cowherd Trio - Pride and Joy

Label: Le Coq Records, 2022

Personnel - Jon Cowherd: piano; John Patitucci: bass; Brian Blade: drums - with guests Chris Potter: tenor and soprano saxophones (#1,2,5); Alex Acuna: percussion (#1,2,5). 

Pianist/composer Jon Cowherd is known for employing a fluid language and sincere approach to the keyboard. Pride and Joy showcases his fantastic trio - with bassist John Patitucci and drummer Brian Blade - attacking eight tracks that show their powerful chemistry and technical wizardry. The album celebrates the pianist’s two-and-a-half-year-old daughter on one hand, also signaling his recent move from New York City to Grand Junction, Colorado. 

The opening track, “Grand Mesa” reflects this new environment - surrounded by mesas and red mountains - he currently enjoys with his family. This is the first of three pieces where the trio is augmented by two distinguished guests: the powerful saxophonist Chris Potter and the understated percussionist Alex Acuña. 

An out-of-time post-bop outlook prevails on the formerly described tune, as well as on “Little Scorpio”, which gently develops in seven with a perfectly singable soprano sax melody on top of a tight chordal sequence; and also on the title track, another soulful effort that crackles with energy, especially in the vamp toward the end where Potter blows with verve and stamina. Both these numbers refer to Cowherd’s daughter, Simone.

Patitucci and Blade confirm their highly musical association through elegant underpinnings that elevate the trio pieces, namely Cowherd’s “The Colorado Experiments”, which, surrounded by an impressionistic aura, carries echoes of Chick Corea; and “Chickmonk”, Patitucci’s double tribute to the just mentioned pianist and Thelonious Monk. Here the trio opens up by delivering loose-limbed solos with a swinging posture. 

Waltzing with a dragging beat and demonstrating control at every point, “Honest Man” was written for Cowherd’s first jazz teacher, Ellis Marsalis. The album finishes in solo piano mode with “Quilt City Blues”, which Blade composed for Cowherd. Both share more than two decades of musical partnership.

Rooted jazz lineage branches out in all directions over the course of a repertoire that, not being surprising, feels all the more compelling for moving effortlessly between written passages, spontaneous interactions, and individual statements.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Grand Mesa ► 03 - The Colorado Experiment ► 05 - Pride and Joy

Sélébéyone - Xaybu: The Unseen

Label: Pi Recordings, 2022

Personnel - Steve Lehman: alto saxophone; Maciek Lasserre: alto saxophone; HPrizm: vocals (English); Gaston Bandimic: vocals (Wolof); Damion Reid: drums.

Sélébéyone is a groundbreaking collaborative outfit involving American, African and European musicians. These fusion practitioners bring together left field rap, nu-break flows, modern jazz eloquence, African rhythmic concepts, and experimental electronics in a collage of seriously infectious sounds inspired by the Islamic mysticism of al-Ghaib.

Declaring the two front-line saxophonists - trailblazing American Steve Lehman and French dynamo Maciek Lasserre - as producers, the group’s sophomore album, Xaybu: The Unseen, is bookended by the offbeat and vibing pulsations of “Time is the First Track”. The skillfully programmed disparities and juxtapositions of this piece continue on “Djibril”, a tribute to the Senegalese filmmaker Djibril Diop Mambéty. On top of the ecstatic beatmaking there’s not only torqued freak saxophone notes forming angular heat waves and intervallic unconventionality, but also the Wolof, French, and English words pronounced by the two MCs - respected New York underground hip-hop artist HPrizm and young Senegalese star, Gaston Bandimic. 

Both the African-flavored “Lamina” and the more aggressive “Liminal” deal with easily shiftable broken rhythms. The former piece, being very electronic-oriented, is surrounded by mechanically surreal patterns and synthetic grooves; the latter, instead, was made slightly more ominous through persistent drones, effusive percussion, and volcanic saxophone playing. The meaning of the words in “Gagaku” ('guided through illusion in the land of the lost'), where New York City life is addressed with hopelessness, is complemented by a voice sample of legendary jazz drummer Billy Higgins.  

The top-to-bottom push-pull in terms of sound design is not to be ignored, and “Poesie I” is a superlative example of how to do it. Damion Reid’s versatile drumming locks in the group’s explosive chemistry on numbers such as “Dual Ndoxol” and the more straightforward “Zeraora”. He brushes his kit with swinging elegance on the former, creating a cool jazz atmosphere that later morphs into chilled-out electronic riffery stirred by caustic saxophone forays. 

To like or not to like this post-electro-jazz-rap album is likely a matter of genre-related taste since one can’t find dubious choices in Sélébéyone’s response to their already highly raised bar. Anyone seeking boldness, complexity and fire in music should look for this.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Djibril ► 06 - Gagaku ► 13 - Zeraora