Iago Fernández - Luzada

Label: Fresh Sound New Talent, 2022

Personnel - Iago Fernandez: drums, organ, voice; Mark Turner: tenor saxophone; Joris Roelofs: bass clarinet; David Virelles: piano; Ben Street: double bass; Yumi Ito: vocals (#1,4,9); Wilfried Wilde: guitar (#1,4); Kuba Dworak: double bass (#1); Song Yi Jeon: vocals (#9). 

Luzada is a grown-up album with a beautiful collective sound fabric and sublime improvisational occasions. The Galician drummer and composer Iago Fernandez, who is based in Basel, Switzerland, assembled a formidable group with a dynamic two-horn frontline composed of American saxophone titan Mark Turner and Dutch bass clarinetist Joris Roelofs. The bassist Ben Street and pianist David Virelles are majestic in the rhythm section, and there are guests on selected tracks that help coloring some of his healing undertones and thoughtful meditations.

“Almas Viaxeiras” opens the doors to Fernandez’s sonic world with a quintuple time feel and a delicate, homogeneous texture that, suggesting a slight Brazilian tinge, serves as a keynote to Japanese-Polish singer Yumi Ito’s singing. The poem, written in Galician by Iago, is about the impossibility of physical contact between two deeply connected souls during the pandemic. Turner and the guest French guitarist Wilfried Wilde are featured here, the latter adorning the concluding head.

Ito also sings in Galician on the appreciable “Flor Esvelta” and joins timbres with South Korean singer Song Yi Jeon on “Purple Light”, which has illuminating arpeggiated piano clearing the path to improvisations by Turner and Roelofs. Commanding their instruments with authority, both musicians interweave lines on Xan Campos’ energizing “Cadeas Por Fin”, the sole non-original of the album, as if they came from the same mind. Before that, the spotlight was on Virelles, who introduces the excellent “Arrolo de Alba” with a slow drive and deep chordal underpinning. Roelofs explores darker corners and timbres here, which contrast with the surrounding light lines, and Street delivers a fine, grounded solo.

Brimming with self-possessed pleasure, “Doces” is underlined with a surefooted rhythm after a gauzy chamber-like intro. Roelofs really hits the spot while making fluid conversation; he’s followed by the intervallic grandness of Turner, who effortlessly gives wings to a brilliant phrasing. The album closes with “Curarei”, whose folksy melody and churning rhythm don’t blur other elements drawn from chamber jazz and classical music. 

Surrounded by wonderful musicians who understood his music, Fernandez shows he’s a sensitive drummer and qualified composer. Unhesitatingly, Luzada was one of the most agreeable surprises I had this year.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Doces ► 05 - Cadeas por Fin ► 09 - Purple Light

Mats Gustafsson & NU Ensemble - Hidros 8 Heal

Label: Trost Records, 2022

Personnel - Mats Gustafsson: baritone saxophone, conduction; Anna Högberg: alto and baritone saxophones; Susana Santos Silva: trumpet; Per-Åke Holmlander: tuba; Hedvig Mollestad: guitar; Dieb13: turntables; Christof Kurzmann: lloopp, voice; Massimo Pupillo: bass; Gert-Jan Prins: drums, electronics; Ivar Loe Bjørnstad: drums.

As an important figure of the fertile improvised music, the Swedish saxophonist and composer Mats Gustafsson is always on the move with projects whose musical ideas continue to flourish and develop. His most prominent groups include the Fire! Orchestra, The Thing, The Underflow, The End, and Nu Ensemble. It’s with the latter rotating ensemble, which came to life in 1997, that he releases Hidros 8 - Heal, a two-track program of 46 minutes inspired by the current state of the world. The new lineup includes Norwegian guitarist Hedvig Mollestad, who debuts in a band with Gustafsson at the helm, and Portuguese trumpeter Susana Santos Silva, a member of his Fire! Orchestra.

It’s precisely with the creative trumpeter that the improvisational activities is launched. It happens on “Hidros 8 Heal Part 1”,  right after a nearly esoteric intro (with electronic contamination, metal-scrapping sounds of different frequencies, and cymbal shielding), followed by the thematic unison over a strapping, metal-inspired 14-beat-cycle guitar ostinato. A change of pace occurs when the storytelling becomes ruminative with drones and provocative actions from tuba and saxophone. Previous to an authoritative guitar solo over the reinstated power chords, one can experience a cacophonous horn-centered motion that sweeps fast and furious. 

As “Hidros 8 Heal Part 2” commences, we notice a disarray that, not being anarchic, is heavy and noisy. Screams, shouts and throaty growls lead to a solemn melody in parallel, but everything stops to make room for the voice of experimental Austrian musician Christof Kurzmann. With the drummers providing an enthusiastic flow and the guitar leaking torrents of noise, the ground ostinato of the first time erupts again at the base, supporting beefy-toned saxophones and their clusters of notes.

The material presents an ideal balance of spontaneity and structure, assuring a vibrant musical experience that woos both hard rockers and free jazz devotees.

Favorite Track:
01 - Hidros 8 Heal Part 1

Arild Andersen Group - Affirmation

Label: ECM Records, 2022

Personnel - Marius Neset: tenor saxophone; Helge Lien: piano; Arild Andersen: double bass; Håkon Mjåset Johansen: drums.

Arild Andersen is a Norwegian bassist and composer who has been professionally active for over five decades, having recorded with the master composer George Russell, trumpeter Don Cherry, and saxophonist Jan Garbarek, among others. And it’s precisely with a mood and sound that recalls the latter musician that he opens Affirmation, an album comprising an unedited improvised seven-part suite and one composed piece. 

“Affirmation, Part I: One” is atmospherically nocturnal with balanced, soaring sounds that reveal lyrical melancholia and a touch of class. Backed by three other extremely competent Norwegian musicians - saxophonist Marius Naset, pianist Helge Lien and drummer Håkon Mjåset Johansen - Andersen pushes us to the immersive brushes-driven state of “Affirmation, Part I: Two”, where the group conjures moments of vivid intimacy. Neset’s saxophone is delicate if searching; Lien’s pianism is unobtrusive, and Andersen’s interjections are chanting and poetic.

Johansen’s percussive work is particularly contagious on “Affirmation, Part I: Four”, a slightly dancing piece within a static environment, where the rhythm section beckons and ultimately coaxes Neset’s tenor into an inside/outside exploration. There’s plenty of reaction by Lien, and everything ends pacifically after the group’s effortless communication heightens both tension and curiosity.

“Affirmation, Part II: Five” brims with a pulsating punctuation and ear-catching interplay between Andersen and Lien. Then, we have a juxtposed, beefed up dialogue between the bandleader and Neset. Bursts of swinging activity are impeccably generated, proving this group can seamlessly alternate stillness and ferocity in their music.

An inconsolable romantic impressionism is detected on “Affirmation, Part II: Seven”, and the group concludes this positive session with “Short Story”, a Jarrett-esque, Andersen-penned ballad with spotless melody, harmonic amenity, and an endlessly captivating saxophone statement full of emotion. With all four performers in top form, Affirmation is an incredible sonic expedition.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Affirmation, Part I: One  ► 04 - Affirmation, Part I: Four ► 05 - Affirmation, Part II: Five

Eve Risser Red Desert Orchestra - Eurythmia

Label: Clean Feed, 2022

Personnel - Eve Risser: piano, voice, composition; Antonin-Tri Hoang: alto sax, analog synth; Sakina Abdou: tenor sax; Grégoire Tirtiaux: baritone sax, qarqabas; Nils Ostendorf: trumpet, analog synth; Mathias Müller: trombone; Tatiana Paris: electric guitar, voice; Ophélia Hié: balafon, bara, voice; Mélissa Hié: balafon, djembe, voice; Fanny Lasfargues: electro-acoustic bass; Oumarou Bambara: djembe, bara; Emmanuel Scarpa: drums, voice.

Displaying an uplifting hybridity, French pianist and composer Eve Risser leads her 12-piece Red Desert Orchestra with vision, leaving a firm footprint even when the music has a certain lightness to it. For the suite Eurythmia, both the musicians and the musical influences come from Europe and West Africa, resulting in a music motivated by openness and a clear drive.

“So” thrives with a clever electronic-like treatment and Brazilian percussive tract. Saxophone trills, apt trombone commentary, v-shaped piano moves, and muted trumpet contribute a multitude of colors. Even more appealing is “Sa”, a horn-driven exercise with modulation and coruscating drumming by the versatile Emmanuel Scarpa. Altoist Antonin-Tri Hoang is also featured here, catalyzing energy with briskness and nerve. A cyclical, African-tinged texture is implemented at the end, enhanced by the highly expressive vibes of the balafons. This ravishing rhythmic tapestry serves as a foundation for “Desert Rouge”, a central piece in six whose organic whole is brought by fine solos, collective response, and a sense of experimentalism that hits the spot.

“Gämse” is made of many ingredients: electronic, avant-garde jazz, soul, funk, and exotic rhythms. On top of a booting bass line slides a lusty trombone solo that contrasts with the romanticism of the piano. Even though, Risser doesn’t sidestep from some angular friction and deft runs.

After an obstinate baritone-driven effort (“Harmattan”), and an ambient-like improv (“Petit Soir”) whose only sin is to be too abbreviated, we have “Soyayya”, a new arrangement of the 2019 piece “Après un Rêve”. The latter number - with prepared piano, balafon and percussive instruments churning polyrhythms and counterpoint - features a squirming tenor solo with strong timbral qualities by Sakina Abdou. Appeasing guitar chords finalize the proceedings.

An interesting musician to be reckoned with, Eve Risser solidifies her ensemble’s stature, spreading out some magic across spellbinding textures and rhythms.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - So ► 03 - Sa ► 08 - Soyayya

Megumi Yonezawa - Resonance

Label: Sunnyside Records, 2022

Personnel - Megumi Yonezawa: piano; Mike McGuirk: bass; Mark Ferber: drums.

Japanese-born, New York-based pianist Megumi Yonezawa releases her sophomore album on the consistently assiduous Sunnyside label. Resonance, a 10-song session recorded with her regular trio - bassist Mike McGuirk and drummer Mark Ferber - includes four interpretations of indelible standards, whose highlights are Coltrane’s “Countdown”, revisited with different flavors and displaying a classical innuendo in its inception, and the soulfully-brushed “Body and Soul”, whose main melody is elegantly stated in conjunction with McGuirk. 

Although these readings will likely facilitate the connection with a wider audience, I was more impressed with the originals, starting with the title track, a waltz with a light, bright touch and silky harmonic roads where melody grows effortlessly. “Valley in Deep Sea” is another favorite, a springy, fully-improvised invention delivered with mystery and a deeper sense of awe. 

The versatile tom-tom language offered by Ferber opens and closes “Lone Winds Blow”, an impressionistic exercise that doesn’t abstain from enjoyable modal bluesy, classical and Latin feels, which reflect more the trio’s intimate footing than any dynamic combustion. Yonezawa’s lines and phrasing are creative but her tunes eschew overstated tension, remaining temperate and fluid. That’s the case with the opener “Before the Wind”, which balances softness and straightforwardness with an asymmetric additive meter of 11/8. The trio works with a firmly articulated rhythmic premise that goes even further on “It’s All That Matters”. The sliding bass figure that introduces this piece morphs into a swinging walk that underpins creative piano storytelling. After McGuirk takes a solo himself, there’s a concluding vamp for the drummer.

“Yet Again at Will” keeps the momentum going with a waltzing cadence, and the session comes to a conclusion with a harmonically astute reading of Arthur Altman’s classic “All or Nothing at All”. Yonezawa and her trio mates make serious music, and by continuing playing together, they could open up exciting new horizons in the future. This is especially true if they loose discipline a bit to embrace wider portions of adventure.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - The Radiance ► 04 - Valley in Deep Sea ► 05 - Lone Winds Blow 

Benjamin Lackner - Last Decade

Label: ECM Records, 2022

Personnel - Benjamin Lackner: piano; Mathias Eick: trumpet; Jérôme Regard: bass; Manu Katché: drums.

Commanding a sound-sculpting acoustic quartet that favors an intimate ambiance, the German-American pianist Benjamin Lackner fully realizes his intention of getting out of his comfort zone - the piano trio - without obscuring his musical personality. On his new album, Last Decade, the melodies are usually entrusted to Norwegian trumpeter Mathias Eick, while the French rhythm section of bassist Jérôme Regard and drummer Manu Katché provide all the necessary support.

Portraying a serene setting, “Where Do We Go From Here” tells an affectionate story with sentimental melody. This slow-moving piece is followed by “Circular Confidence”, whose type of narrative have sonic elements colliding with technical ability, bringing to mind the successful association between pianist John Taylor and trumpeter Kenny Wheeler. On this one, Katché mounts the alluring rhythm with a graceful control of the kit, also excelling with brushes on “Hung Up on that Ghost”, a sort of suspended, agreeable dream where the ensemble takes full advantage of the song’s rich harmonic sequence. Lackner injects motifs and ideas, fusing them with inside/outside discernment, while Eick puts his range and phraseology on display. This calm flow turns into a mix of sad and elegant descriptions during the title track.

Prior to the beautiful solo bass effort that is “Émile” - penned by Regard in dedication to his son - we have “Open Minds Lost”, underpinned with sturdy bass notes that show the way with a clear harmonic sense. The coloration of the piano, the melody and the rhythm confirm that the four musicians are on the same page.

Last Decade is a work leaning on reflection and emotional growth, where one can feel the group’s strong connection. This should be obvious even if you’re not in the mood for inward cogitation.

Favorite Tracks:
04 - Hung Up on that Ghost ► 07 - Open Minds Lost ► 08 - Émile

Kenji Lee's Fortune Teller Trio - Kyudo

Label: Self released, 2022

Personnel - Kenji Lee: tenor saxophone, Hammond organ (#13); Andy Peck: double bass, electric bass (#4); Jonathan Barahal Taylor: percussion; Estar Cohen (#1,9,13).

This is an extraordinary outing by Tokyo-born, Michigan-based saxophonist Kenji Lee who got inspiration in Kyudo, the Japanese martial art of archery. The track sequence forms a narrative that, like the above-mentioned traditional practice, has no particular target apart from the movement and form that lead to spiritual development. Over the course of 14 pieces packed with new discoveries and a modernistic personal language, his Fortune Teller Trio reveals perfect discipline and precise focus. 

“Seisha Hicchu”, which translates as ‘true shooting, certain hitting’, is a propulsive, frantic swinger that galvanizes Lee and guest vocalist Estar Cohen into enthusiastic performances. The singer also shines on “Sacred Text”, which displays characteristics of a mournful march.

Written by bassist Andy Peck, “Deth’s Breth” unfolds with dark intonations. His bass lines, going from linear to entangling to motivic, have the spunky drumming of Jonathan Barahal Taylor and angular saxophone depictions creating something between metal and punk music. Vivid and agitated, “Agate” incorporates electric bass as part of its rock-solid rhythmic actions. A drum solo occurs in accordance to the formula: jump and dance.

A couple of short-duration numbers are delivered as percussive bass-and-drums duets for variety, whereas boppish sax/bass unisons race over a swinging groove on the Peck penned “Pell Mell”. Instead, and with emphasis on the melody, “Empty Cup” adopts a more pop/rock song format with strong improvisation atop. Metric modulation is detected in the last section when seven beats per measure flow rapidly. 

Musicality is around, even when the spontaneity of the improvisation is dominant. During Ornette Coleman’s “Chanting” (taken from the 1988 album Virgin Beauty) and Mahler’s “Symphony no. 9”, a lento, restraint posture doesn’t discard organic unity. The album finishes in tones of ballad with a fine reading of singer/songwriter Joanna Sternberg’s “You Have Something Special”.

Lee achieved the principles of truth, goodness and beauty with his music. More to the point: Kyudo is simply awesome work.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Deth’s Breth ► 04 - Agate ► 07 - Empty Cup

Trevor Dunn's Trio-Convulsant with Folie à Quatre - Sèances

Label: Pyroclastic Records, 2022

Personnel - Trevor Dunn: bass; Mary Halvorson: guitar; Ches Smith: drums, timpani, conga; Carla Kihlstedt: violin, viola; Mariel Roberts: cello; Anna Webber: flutes; Oscar Noriega: clarinets.

Brooklyn-based bassist Trevor Dunn (Melvins, Nels Cline Singers) steps up the game started 18 years ago with his excellent powerhouse Trio-Convulsant (featuring guitarist Mary Halvorson and drummer Ches Smith) by expanding it into a septet with the addition of an improvisation-oriented chamber jazz quartet called Folie à Quatre. Together, they play seven Dunn compositions that, even getting darker and obscure in places, shine in their own way. The inspiration came from two directions: the album Blue Desmond (RCA, 1962) by American saxophonist Paul Desmond, and the Convulsionnaires of Saint-Médard, an 18th-century French Christian sect considered mystic, heretic and political. The result is a sinuous chamber-jazz-metal amalgam with plenty of energy and an insightful perspective.

“Secours Meurtriers” (French for ‘murderous reliefs’) inducts the bizarre practices with Anna Webber’s flute introduction leading to rock passages of progressive vision and complex meter (13/4). The cello of Mariel Roberts arrives confidently with delay effect, and after a few minutes of microtonal flute incursions, Halvorson’s rock guitar vamp solidifies the texture for Smith’s drum expansions. Dancing bass lines complete the scenario. 

On “The Asylum’s Guilt”, a bass figure delivered at a dodgy tempo makes us search, forming the core over which the rest of the instruments circle around with moderation. The polyrhythmic “Restore All Things” also plays with figures and tempos, flowing with a slight funk disposition and pedal-point passages that create eerie mystery. In turn, “1733” is based on numerology; a cinematic move that brings together the wild action of Tarantino and the supernatural thrillers of M. Night Shyamalan. After a bowed bass-cello-percussion inception reinforced with power chords, Smith thickens the path with rambunctious drumming before the group sinks down into atmospheric ambiguity. The final section is in line with power metal methodologies. 

One of the most brilliant pieces is “Saint-Médard”, which evolves with counterpoint, occasional polyphony, and a dazzling instrumentation. The tempos are uncommon (3/2, 5/2 and 8/8) and Halvorson’s buzzing guitar probes tones and textures with stereo ripples. If “Eschatology” is expeditious and intricate at the same time, featuring a fluid in-and-out solo by Oscar Noriega on bass clarinet and Halvorson’s flickering guitar fluxes, then “Thaumaturge” has Dunn opening the curtain for a contemplative 9/4 journey with no major startles.

Sèances captures the musicians in their heights and also demonstrates Dunn’s composing capabilities, being a well-invented mesh of sounds from different genres that collide around the space. 

Favorite Tracks: 
01 - Secours Meurtriers ► 02 - Saint-Médard ► 03 - Restore All Things

Michael Marcus - Abstractions in Lime Caverns

Label: Esp-Disk, 2022

Personnel - Michael Marcus: tenor and soprano saxophones, alto tarogato, clarinet, bass flute, gongs; Frank Lacy: French horn; Tarus Mateen: acoustic bass; Jay Rosen: drums, percussion.

Accompanied by other stalwarts of the New York avant-jazz scene, multi-instrumentalist Michael Marcus dedicates his new album, Abstractions in Lime Caverns, to French bassist François Grillot, who passed away in 2021 at 66. Over the course of 10 admirably modeled tracks in which he explores the duo, trio and quartet formats, Marcus pays a couple more tributes to his inspirations. “Hueysville” is for altoist Sonny Simmons, with whom Marcus played for many years, and comes with a straightly bop, Charlie Parker-kind of melodicism on the alto tarogato. “Hillscape”, with its beseeching main melody and the two-horn interplay creating absolute shinning moments, is dedicated to the influential pianist Andrew Hill. Here, the known improvisational aptitude of Marcus and Fench horn player Frank Lacy extends to the bassist Tarus Mateen.

The session is a travelogue of sorts within the jazz universe. Take “Xia Xia”, for example, a Yusef Lateef-like excursion presented as a clarinet-drums duo, which envelops the listener with the relaxing sounds of the Orient. The duet continues to “Banana Pudding”, taking us to another kind of free-floating exotic realm. The path of tradition is taken seriously on “Crossing the Rio”, another duo with the experienced drummer Jay Rosen, whose subdued percussion blends harmoniously with tenor sax and gongs.

The hip opener, “Zight Pulse”, guarantees that the energy is consistently churning. Played by the full quartet, it boasts a magnetic head, whose melody is delivered with graceful intervallic concurrency and an ad-libbed, angular musicality that sounds like Steve Lacy would do. The dancing groove laid down by Mateen and Rosen keeps the momentum flowing, and they show to have alternative foundational options on the title track, while engaging in droning bass pulsations and imaginative cymbal embellishment.

The tones adopted are not blustery but sunshiny and pleasant. One can feel the warmth that emanates from the bass flute and French horn on the soothing and beautiful “Lioness of the Trees”. Revealing his strong musicianship everywhere, Marcus releases an album with strong themes and multi-colored hues. That will make you want to revisit it often.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Zight Pulse ► 02 - Xia Xia ► 08 - Hillscape

Antonio Sanchez Shift - Bad Hombre Vol. II

Label: Arts Music, 2022

Personnel - Antonio Sanchez: drums, percussion, electric bass guitar, keyboards, mandolin, synthesizer, ukulele, vocals + Guests - Dave Matthews: vocals; Pat Metheny: guitar; Ana Tijoux: vocals; Becca Stevens: vocals, guitar; Trent Reznor: vocals; Atticus Ross: synth; MARO: vocals; Thana Alexa: vocals, beat box; Lila Downs: vocals; Meshell Ndegeocello: vocals, electric bass; Silvana Estrada: vocals; Kimbra: vocals, guitar; Rodrigo Y Gabriela; guitars; Ignacio López Tarso: featured artist.

Renowned Mexican-born drummer Antonio Sanchez is a prominent bandleader (Migration is probably his best project) and valuable sideman (Gary Burton, Pat Metheny) with an eclectic taste. His second insdtallment of Bad Hombre (the first was released in 2017 on CAM Records) comprises 16 tracks where he plays several instruments. 14 of those tracks feature guest artists and were recorded remotely in its vast majority, but the super-polished production winks to a more commercial audience.  

The themes are sculpted with some rhythmic provocations, but as a whole, this work is less successful than what I was hoping for, struggling to maintain momentum. The mix of styles presented here is definitely not my thing, and while some collaborations gain an unschooled spark, others curb the impetus by adopting a fairly restrained temperament.

The album opens with the words of Sanchez’s grandfather, the 97-year-old Mexican actor Ignacio López Tarso, on top of a light and cool instrumentation. Yet, the standout tracks are: “Eh Hee 2.0”, a glamorous push into a sort of trad-rock arena featuring the American singer-songwriter Dave Matthews (who penned it) and the iconic crossover jazz guitarist Pat Metheny; “I Think We’re Past That Now”, a dark and muscular ebb and flow of industrial rock and electronic music with Nine Inch Nails’ members Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross on board; and “Alambari”, a dreamy sound cloud fronted by Portuguese singer Maro, which starting with odd-meter disposition, is ultimately rounded up to a symmetric cycle. 

There’s also “The Bucket” (feat. Becca Stevens), which probes an alternative pop/rock style driven by shifting textures and peculiar beats; “Trapped (Red Room)”, whose mysterious and dark tones à-la NIN are embraced by Croatian American vocalist Thana Alexa; and the nu-soul incursions of “Waiting”, a solo effort, and “Comet Come to Me”, where Meshell Ndegeocello sings atop of a strong dub vibe and exotic rhythms.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Eh Hee 2.0 ► 05 - I Think We’re Past That Now ► 06 - Alambari

William Parker - Universal Tonality

Label: Centering Records, 2022

Personnel - Rob Brown: alto saxophone; Daniel Carter: reeds, brass; Cale Brandley: tenor saxophone; Grachan Moncur Ill: trombone; Steve Swell: trombone; Matt Lavelle: trumpet; Jin Hi Kim: komungo; Miya Masaoka: koto; Billy Bang: violin; Jason Kao Hwang: violin; Joe Morris: guitar;  Dave Burrell: piano; Leena Conquest: voice;  Jerome Cooper: balafon, chiramía, keys, drums; Roger Blank: balafon; William Parker: bass, dilruba, shakuhachi, donso’ngoni; Gerald Cleaver: drums.

Recorded at NYC’s Roulette on December 2002, Universal Tonality is a double-disc spectacle of enchanting sounds delivered by 16 musicians of different ages, cultures and backgrounds. That night, the bandleader - incredible bassist, composer and activist William Parker - provided an illustrated score that allowed plenty of freedom to the interpreters, in an attempt to make them “breathe together”. The words of protest and unity he wrote are declared with passion by vocalist Leena Conquest, and the performance counted with iconic names of the avant-garde jazz scene, some of them no longer among us like the violinist Billy Bang and trombonist Grachan Moncur III.

Putting a lot of commitment and intention in everything he does, Parker starts off this thematic excursion with “Tails of a Peacock”, where a sturdy bass figure announces the inspiring modal jazz to come. And it brings as much impact as spirituality. Playing concurrently for most of the time, the horn players come and go one after another, creating a spirited improvisational feast that is never static. This creative freedom is suspended for the time that Conquest sings “there’s a way to survive; hope is relentless, it will never die.”

Clocking in at more than half an hour, “Cloud Texture” speaks about vital musicians as well as tumults and injustices in the American history. It’s a smooth procession filled with emotional cries. There are quick stops for the decorous bowed strings of Bang and Jason Kao Hwang, horn-driven detail, and a far-flung finale with shakuhachi flute, koto and balafon.

“Leaves Gathering” sweeps like the wind; with lightness, at first, but then densifying in texture as it moves forward. We can easily discern the funky wah guitar of Joe Morris erupting from the instrumental mesh. This is before a cadenced strut is installed, anchored by an odd bass groove that invites the horns into a polyphonic cacophony. “Silver Sunshine” begins percussively with cymbals, gongs and chiramias, before a relentless melodic motif expressed in parallel gets stuck in your head, under a breezy swing. Moncur III is featured on this track. The opus comes to a conclusion with “Open System One”, offering some ecstatic blowing from the saxophonists Daniel Carter, Rob Brown and Cale Brandley. 

William Parker’s albums are never frivolous or gratuitous; his message is always meaningful and incisive. Universal Tonality hands over a nicely-balanced aesthetic construct with enough substance for the excellent cast of musicians sink their teeth into.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Tails of a Peacock ► 03 - Leaves Gathering ► 04 - 06 -

Dave Douglas - Songs of Ascent: Book 1 - Degrees

Label: Greenleaf Music, 2022

Personnel - Dave Douglas: trumpet; Jon Irabagon: reeds; Matt Mitchell: piano; Linda May Han Oh: bass; Rudy Royston: drums.

American trumpeter and composer Dave Douglas usually operates in a refined avant-garde setting, which, being accessible, often lets his peculiar tone and impressive range come to the fore. The excellent co-conspirators in this quintet started to work together in 2011, leaving such a strong impression with albums such as Be Still (2012), Time Travel (2013), and Brazen Heart (2015). The new pair of albums - Songs of Ascent Book 1: Degrees (the object of this review) and Book 2: Steps - are inspired by biblical Psalms and their content was composed in the process of making Douglas' previous outing, Secular Psalms (2022).

“Never Let Me Go” is an original but sounds like a free-ish interpretation of Jay Livingston’s jazz standard of the same name because its poignant main melody is perceptibly outlined as motifs during masterly dissertations by Douglas and pianist Matt Mitchell. Sandwiched between them, the formidable saxophonist Jon Irabagon speaks with as much eloquence as energy.

“Deceitful Tongues” is pronounced with intervallic expertise and impeccable accentuation. After the focused horn stretches and before the final thematic melody, there’s amazing interplay between the rhythm team. The compositions are perfectly balanced and the playing unhesitant and strong. This is put on display on the incredibly dynamic tracks “A Fowler’s Snare”, a bop dish made with avant-garde spices, pure synchronicity, and juxtaposed horn lines in exaltation; and the playful “Lift Up My Eyes”, which revels in brightly-hued ascendant movements and polyphonic exertions that occasionally collide. Bassist Linda May Han Oh and drummer Rudy Royston take succinct individual initiatives on the latter tune.

More sensitive and reassuring, “Peace Within Your Walls” is less angular and less harmonically demanding. Douglas and Irabagon are two different voices that spark off each other in pleasant conversation. The album comes to an end in explorative post-bop mood with “Mouths Full of Joy”.

Having matured into a rounded musician of poetic mien and richness of timbre, Douglas transmits an infectious magnetism in his Songs of Ascent.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Deceitful Tongues ► 04 - Peace Within Your Walls ► 06 - A Fowler’s Snare

Avram Fefer Quartet - Juba Lee

Label: Clean Feed, 2022

Personnel - Avram Fefer: alto and tenor saxophone, bass clarinet; Marc Ribot: guitar; Eric Revis: bass; Chad Taylor: drums.

Avram Fefer, a dazzling and eclectic saxophonist with a supple sense of phrasing, returns with his powerful quartet. Juba Lee is the follow up to their debut recording, Testament (Clean Feed, 2019), and an equally strong statement.

The stirring opener, “Showtime”, swings freely, coming up with a motivic theme expressed in parallel by Fefer and drummer Chad Taylor. The saxophonist blows in and out, and yet his improvisation is so cohesive as he mixes boppish lines and avant-garde audacity. He’s followed by the great guitarist Marc Ribot, who sounds nearly muted in tone while getting loose in the posture. He can be offbeat at times in the interest of the music, being all the more participative in the disconcerting finale.

“Bedouin Dream” follows a 13-beat cycle with sax and guitar playing close to each other through well-placed notes. This piece has the same spirit of those African-inspired themes that have been frequent in Fefer’s albums. Fluttering along with odd-meter as well, “Sky Lake” is expeditious in the flow and modal in the formula. It’s dispatched with stimulating solos full of energy, from which Ribot stands out.

Just like the other cuts on the album, the sinewy and stark “Juba Lee” is an original by Fefer. Even sharing the same title as the tune (and album) by free jazz saxist Marion Brown, its primary influence was Ornette Coleman. There’s a deconstructed contemporary rhythm underneath formed by haunting, buzzing and droning accompaniment, after which it takes the form of a fusion piece that simultaneously swings and pedals during the main theme.

“Brother Ibrahim” firstly appeared on the 2003 album Shades of the Muse (tackled with a completely different quartet), and, intentionally or coincidentally, reminds me the sensitive touch of African pianist Abdullah Ibrahim. Another Ornette-inspired tune, “Gemini Time”, is synonym of fun time, with Taylor and bassist Eric Revis swinging beautifully. The latter concludes the time set for impromptu demonstration, following Fefer, who starts off with an intoxicating ascendant move, and Ribot, who throws in a legato of sumptuously designed notes.

Immediately before “Sweet Fifteen” - a duet of bass clarinet and acoustic guitar that, maintaining an Eastern flavor and quintuple meter, pays tribute to the late American writer, musician, and producer Greg Tate - we have a tinge of Americana and blues with “Say You’re Sorry”.

Propelled and colored by this wonderful quartet, Juba Lee is a refreshing album that glistens with adventurous harmonies and rich melody. Fefer puts a liberating emotional focus in everything he does.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Bedouin Dream ► 03 - Sky Lake ► 09 - Sweet Fifteen

Bill Frisell - Four

Label: Blue Note Records, 2022

Personnel - Bill Frisell: guitar; Gregory Tardy: tenor saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet; Gerald Clayton: piano; Johnathan Blake: drums.

The unmatchable American guitarist and composer Bill Frisell soars his six-string chords in the company of long-time collaborator Gregory Tardy on reeds, and recent partners: pianist Gerald Clayton and drummer Johnathan Blake. Four is Frisell’s third outing on the Blue Note imprint, and consists entirely of originals - nine newly composed and four taken from two previously recorded albums. They form a wonderful set of folk-rooted meditations on loss, renewal and friendship.

The record is dedicated to the late cornetist Ron Miles, but some specific tracks pay tribute to some of Frisell’s recently departed friends. The opener, “Dear Old Friend (for Alan Woodward)” is a solo-less, far-from-overwrought country song with a lullaby-ish melody. There’s also the gently persuasive “Waltz for Hal Willner”, and the wonderful collective work of “Claude Utley”, which celebrates the amazingly colorful painter of the same name, a native from Seattle who passed away in September 2021. This piece, carrying a post-bop leverage, incorporates the tenets of the bandleader’s style. Clayton gets the spotlight in the introductory section, after which an inducted three time feel stimulates Frisell and Tardy (on clarinet) to provide counterpoint.

The 3/4 time signature dominates great part of the album, and besides two of the above-mentioned pieces, you can also hear it on the expressively bluesy “Monroe”, the softly brushed “Wise Woman”, and also “Good Dog. Happy Man”, a folk piece that sports a jubilant optimism. Both latter tunes, together with the Americana-soaked ballad “The Pioneers” were previously recorded, just like the classic “Lookout For Hope”, here re-sculpted with a dreamy feel that binds the tearfully intoned bass clarinet and the warm sounds of guitar and piano.

“Invisible” navigates tranquil waters with silken melodicism, while “Holiday”, more playful, has the group tossing in organic doses of slight funk, whose freedom starts in Blake’s nimble snare rhythms.

The members’ attentive listening to one another are not hard to find, but “Dog on a Roof” is definitely special. It closes out the album in absolute delight, going from abstraction - made of relentless ostinatos, drones and other surprising effects - to an hypnotic melody-driven passage that vamps and waltzes in the background.

Displaying intelligent, anti-show-off conversations delivered with controlled intensities and precise color combinations, Four reaffirms the depth of Frisell’s musical vision.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Claude Utley ► 06 - Lookout For Hope ► 13 - Dog on a Roof

Dan Weiss Trio - Dedication

Label: Cygnus Recordings, 2022

Personnel - Dan Weiss: drums; Jacob Sacks: piano; Thomas Morgan: bass.

The inventive drummer/composer Dan Weiss joins forces with two other creative musicians - pianist Jacob Sacks and bassist Thomas Morgan - for an album of dedications that consists entirely of original pieces. The deep understanding between these musicians, who have been playing together for 22 years, manifests on every track as they explore an array of quirky moods and undiscovered spaces. 

Honoring the founder/vocalist of the unique, eclectic UK rock band Cardiacs, “For Tim Smith” reveals an appetence for polyrhythm, radical transitions, odd-meter sequences, and complex juxtapositions. In the end, you have an organically solid number that is also fun to listen to. Extremely challenging is also “For Nancarrow”, whose eruptive experimentalism pronounced with an underlying swinging motion made me think of a musical crossing between Tony Williams and Pierre Schaeffer. A mysterious opaqueness permeates the whole thing. There are crashing cymbals producing strange accents and exquisite piano runs elaborated with keen virtuosity. 

Sacks is exalted with a piece. “For Jacob” is explorative, galvanizing, jazzy and avant-gardish; filled with coiled forms and transient flurries. In turn, “For Andrei Tarkovsky” (Weiss’ favorite filmmaker) shimmers like a delicate torch. It's impeccably synchronized and offers the playful clatter of an unforseen samba rhythm. 

“For George Floyd” is filled with silences, tonal contrasts, dissonances, and striking motions; “For Elvin” has Weiss altering the speed of Elvin Jones’ pulse on Coltrane’s “One Down, One Up” from the album Live at the Half Note. Whereas he swings vividly here, he brushes the drums with elegance on the arpeggiated “For Grandma May”, demonstrating his love for his late grandmother.

Undeniably virtuosic and progressive, Weiss works in unconventional ways. This program relies on curious musical architectures that make us experience freedom while constantly waiting for surprises. And they never fail to appear.

Favorite Tracks:
03 - For Nancarrow ► 05 - For Jacob ► 08 - For Elvin

The Comet is Coming - Hyper Dimensional Expansion Beam

Label: Impulse! Records, 2022

Personnel - Shabaka Hutchings: alto sax; Danalogue: keyboards, electronics; Betamax: drums.

The UK-based trio The Comet is Coming stakes their virtuosity claim in this current disc of whimsical instrumentals with a panoply of influences and hip mutations. 

For their fourth opus, the group rides the crest of modernity with some homespun weirdness, offering a few flamboyant pieces suitable for dancefloors. An example is the opener,  “Code”, whose EDM vibes are enriched with textural ostinatos and staccato saxophone lines seasoned with an Eastern flavor. Caustic synth layers build crescendos here, but take the form of warped and overpowering laser-focus beams on “Technicolour”. Another piece within the genre is “Atomic Dance Wave”, a punchy, frisky indie electronic rock inspiration that call to mind the energy of The Prodigy.

Despite the stylistic connections, the alchemic roads traveled here are varied in steepness, direction, and instrumentation. ”Lucid Dreamer” is a standout, evolving with a syncopated beat, gratifying melody, and Ensonic synth washes dispensing ethereal choir effects. The ominous “Angel of Darkness” conjures up a sense of fear before installing a three-time-feel groove that alleviates the jitters for a bit. It’s all very cinematic, and saxman Shabaka Hutchings riffs like a Brazilian cuíca before discharging trills, rhythmic figures, and angsty outcries. At the end of the line, an incendiary rock feel imposes.

Immediately following the frenetic, short-lived “Tokyo Nights”, we have “Pyramids” whose club/dance manner (redolent of Technotronic and Snap!) permeate the trap-knit hip-hop propulsion with flowability. In turn, “The Hammer” has a slow beat invading the dark atmosphere, with discoverable keyboards sweeps emulating harp sounds, and modulations that inspire Hutchings to expand.

Occasional sparkle and some interesting atmospherics can be found, but the music never went beyond the expected. Yet, followers and completists of the trio will most likely find what they’re looking for.

Favorite Tracks:
03 - Lucid Dream ► 07 - Angel of Darkness ► 10 - The Hammer

Olli Hirvonen - Kielo

Label: Ropeadope Records, 2022

Personnel - Olli Hirvonen: guitar; Marty Kenny: bass; Nathan Ellman-Bell: drums.

One of Finland’s most rising musical exports is the guitarist/composer Olli Hirvonen, who has been based in New York since 2011. For his new recording, Kielo, he leads a close-knit trio with bassist Marty Kenny and drummer Nathan Ellman-Bell, delivering eight tunes (seven originals and one cover) that integrate his Finnish musical roots and Americana. The follow up to the excellent Displace (Ropeadope, 2019) sounds simpler in conception but still rocks out with an understated elegance that goes beyond stereotyped jazz contexts.

The title cut is shaped with delicate streams whose charisma and poise takes us to the emotional, ambient-like psychedelia of Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon. “Outline” was inspired by novelist Rachel Cusk’s trilogy of the same name, and its provocative base, in which Hirvonen’s axe goes together with Kenney’s bass presence in optimum ways, doesn’t outshine the melody.

Less jumpy than the previously mentioned number is “Current”, an enigmatic, slightly somber and brush-driven piece that holds tight to a 3/4 tempo but has the amplitude to ebb and flow; and also “Lento”, which, inspired by the indie folk-pop singer/songwriter Cassandra Jenkins, provides one of the album’s starkest moments. As at early, the mood is taken to further lows, but Ellmann-Bell swaps the initial balminess for a more solid rhythm solidly locked in with the bass. Hirvonen’s solo finds support in the reliable foundational builders.

With “Erode”, the trio embraces an indie rock style that shows no complexes. Although the inspiration came from the Brian Blade Fellowship, this is a ballad song crafted with noise-filled passages that could be taken from Mogwai or Sonic Youth. Hirvonen’s distortion-swathed guitar weaves through the tune with grit.

The set comes to a close with a rendition of “Vegas”, authored by the Brooklyn band Big Thief. It reads like a modern folk song propelled with an invigorating backbeat. Kielo will make explorers of pop/rock instrumentals happier than jazz diggers.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Kielo ► 02 - Erode ► 06 - Lento 

Kaja Draksler / Susana Santos Silva - Grow

Label: Intakt Records, 2022

Personnel - Kaja Draksler: piano; Susana Santos Silva: trumpet.

Slovenian pianist Kaja Draksler and Portuguese trumpeter Susana Santos Silva are two excellent improvisers who coax the listener into unfamiliarly atmospheric worlds that are fun to explore. Displaying an incredible facility with their instruments, these two innovators create an intriguing album with rippling sonic waves echoing through the air in the company of tumbling percussive elements that underscore the porous textures.

“Moonrise” kicks off with a patterned, chiming jangle that comes from the prepared piano. A certain rhythm is set in motion, over which vibrato brass lines and abstract constellations of notes navigate atop, creating a strange combination of restlessness and peace. Presented like a suite, the next improvisation, “Close”, dwells in an abstract textural continuum. Silva’s horn oozes sounds extracted from a bunch of extended techniques: staccato feints, breath attacks, multiphonics, and trills. Her repetitive actions are counteracted by raspy and rattling percussive effects. 

Delivered on the hype, “Liquid Rock” attempts even bolder sounds at the outset, eventually infusing palpable harmonies and melody. It feels like a nightmarish reverie, though, in which the piano sounds like an electronic machine that depends on a precise clock to function. Incisive trumpet lines dive into low and high registers with pinpoint navigation, and everything falls into a quiet if compulsory succession of sounds that throws us into an indefinite limbo.

The album concludes with “Grow”, a brainy industrial-like exercise made wildly unstable by electronic-suggested noises, prepared piano, air notes, and terse remarks. The mood is then adapted to ambient on the basis of long trumpet notes and a high-pitched piano drone that later converts into low bass moves.

With unrepentant honesty, Draksler and Silva contribute considerable creativity to this duo recording. They reckon with exploration of sound without being too explanatory of what’s going on. This makes the listener search with avid curiosity, resulting in a satisfactory outcome.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Close ► 03 - Liquid Rock

Jakob Bro / Joe Lovano - Once Around the Room

Label: ECM Records, 2022

Personnel - Joe Lovano: tenor saxophone, tarogato; Jakob Bro: guitar; Thomas Morgan: double bass; Larry Grenadier: double bass; Anders Christensen: electric bass; Joey Baron: drums; Jorge Rossy: drums.

This marvelous album put together by two amazing musicians, the American saxophonist Joe Lovano and the Danish guitarist Jakob Bro, is a homage to the late drummer Paul Motian. The latter’s influence and mannerism are dissolved over six pieces - two by each co-leader, one collective improvisation, and one iconic number from the drummer - devised with a highly personal stamp and nearly telepathic interplay. For this project made in Copenhagen, Lovano and Bro convened an unconventional group with three bassists (Thomas Morgan, Larry Grenadier and Anders Christensen) and two drummers (Joey Baron, Jorge Rossy).

Lovano’s “As It Should Be” opens the album with an entrancing mood via the mind bending combination of dawning calm and a spiritual heft that is not completely devoid of inquiries and challenges. The piece blossoms with a coruscating rhythm, distorted guitar chords and long notes that echo with depth, rambling pass pedaling, and searching tenor lines that fly to the infinite and return. Both drummers end this piece with a similar dynamism as they start off “Drum Music”, a Motian composition where the eccentric sax/guitar coalition brings its authoritative melody to the fore. Employing distortion, Bro puts an experimental spin on it, inspiring Lovano to pour out a few volcanic eruptions with both piercing and deep sounds. 

“For the Love of Paul”, another product of Lovano’s mind, is marked by a clearly defined theme, producing a slight yet elastic tension over the unfussy tapestry. The co-leaders, who played together for the first time in 2009, are absolutely phenomenal here, opting for a stream of modern creative ideas. With restless energy, the saxist hooks up avant-garde and post-bop elements over the rippling currents provided by the basses and the spacious, effect-drenched guitar of his associate. It also incorporates a fine dialogue between bass players before the reinstatement of the theme.

Bro’s two cuts are etched with restrained intensity, balancing brain and heart: “Song to an Old Friend” is a heavenly tone poem delivered with some pathos and ravishing lyricism, whereas “Pause” ends up the proceedings in laid-back contemplation. On top of all that, the album includes a collective improvisation - aptly titled “Sound Creation” - with looped electronics, non-static drum activity, and the cathartic dances and unpredictable obliques of Lovano on tarogato (Eastern European woodwind instrument).

Once Around the Room has to be made a priority, and as an inspired work of rare talents, you’ll want to spin it over and over again.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - As it Should Be ► 03- For the Love of Paul ► 04 - Song to an Old Friend ► 05 - Drum Music

Ville Lähteenmäki Trio - Introducing: Ville Lähteenmäki Trio

Label: Ultraääni Records, 2022

Personnel - Ville Lähteenmäki: bass clarinet; Nicolas Leirtrø: double bass; Trym Saugstad Karlsen: drums.

Led by the Finnish bass clarinetist and composer Ville Lähteenmäki, this avant-garde Nordic trio rides streams of intriguing, enjoyable sounds with a zealous devotion for the modal spiritual music of the late ‘60s and ‘70s.

“Prelude” has Lähteenmäki’s clamorous bass clarinet lines operating above the frictional netting surface created by the Norwegian rhythm section of bassist Nicolas Leirtrø and drummer Trym Saugstad Karlsen. Brewed with liberation, this passage of freedom gives way to a swinging modalism and bluesy feel that anticipate a well-hinged bass solo.

During his stroll on “Shakti”, the bandleader infuses a lot of rhythmic figures, energetic crescendos, and timbral exploration on the edge, helping to create a dense wave of fervency that naturally invokes John Coltrane and McCoy Tyner. The kinetics are eased in “Calling Alice”, a tribute to Alice Coltrane, where a vamping bass figure is recycled at every 16-beat measure, having rattling percussion giving it that required mysticism we all love. 

The trio clearly draws from tradition but heads in unexpected directions, plunging into a sonic haven of both ebullient and relaxing moments that comes to the fore on “Mare Incognitum”, an uptempo piece in six that unfolds before our ears after Karlsen’s imaginative and empathetic drum introduction. At this time, agile bass clarinet acrobatics are leavened with rapid-fire blows, refusing any possible circumspection.

The discreetness arrives in due course with the closing track, “Best Wishes”, but with an unguarded emotional core that is redolent of Pharaoh Sanders and his primitive-sounding explorations. This piece instigates strong group interplay in the form of a template that incorporates bowed bass, shamanic percussion, and contemplative, nearly prayerful melody. It all ends in a quiet soliloquy.

Lähteenmäki’s chosen path for his working trio is as much daring as it is likable.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Prelude ► 02- Shakti ► 04 - Mare Incognitum