Christoph Irniger Pilgrim - Ghost Cat

Label: Intakt Records, 2023

Personnel - Christoph Irniger: tenor saxophone; Stefan Aeby: piano; Dave Gisler: guitar; Raffaele Bossard: double bass; Michael Stulz: drums.

Zurich-based saxophonist and composer Christoph Irniger has been carving out a niche in the fertile European jazz scene. His project Pilgrim is a refined jazz quintet where harmonic structures can have a positively strange effect on the listener. Celebrating their 10th anniversary is Ghost Cat, the group’s fifth recording that includes six compositions, all but one by Irniger. 

The phlegmatic pragmatism of “Marvel” strikes up an instant connection from the very beginning. It’s stratified from the ground up with cymbal insistence, sparse piano chords colored with rewarding extensions, and reflective saxophone sentiment. Bass and guitar arrive at a later phase, reinforcing the brittle texture with a very musical purpose.

“Seven Down Eight Up” is a freakish excursion in its extraordinary rich. Pianist Stefan Aeby claims the spotlight, culling ideas from Monk, Jarrett, and Mengelberg. He develops and integrates them according to his own whim. The music, spiked up by Dave Gisler’s distorted guitarism, acquires a staggering rhythm, and one can appreciate Irniger’s considerations over half-muted bass rumbles, temperate guitar feedback and painterly drum work. 

Irniger and Gisler profess the melody together on “Ghost Cat” and “Walking with Dinosaurs”. An enigmatic guitar solo over an out-of-the-ordinary bass accompaniment and coruscating drumming smears the former piece, whereas the latter, terminating the proceedings, has an excellent if challenging bass groove locked in with the drums. This leaves the saxophone, the guitar and the piano free to create and communicate. Before that, the 13-minute long “Calling Spirits” call our attention, especially when the soloists hone their phrases with dominant power and admirable conviction.

Not being your ordinary composer, Irniger stands firm in his post-bop ventures, leading this project with authenticity and dedication.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Seven Down Eight Up ► 03 - Ghost Cat ► 06 - Walking with Dinosaurs

Michael Feinberg - Blues Variant

Label: Criss Cross Jazz, 2023

Personnel - Noah Preminger: tenor saxophone, flute; Leo Genovese: piano, keyboards; Michael Feinberg: bass; Nasheet Waits: drums + Dave Liebman: soprano saxophone, flute (#5-7);

Boasting two great saxophonists in the frontline of his energizing group, bassist/composer Michael Feinberg can make his elected moods range from portentous to puerile. The horn players are the exciting tenorist Noah Preminger and the accomplished sopranist Dave Liebman. Both had joined him on From Where We Came (Steeplechase, 2020), but here they expand timbral possibilities by adding flute. Argentinian keyboardist Leo Genovese is a regular collaborator, having played on his debut The Elvin Jones Project (Sunnyside, 2012) as well as on the enlivening Hard Times (Fresh Sound, 2021). The novelty here is the distinguished drummer Nasheet Waits who successfully pairs up with the bassist over the course of ten tracks.

Blues Variant is launched with the title track, a spectacular blues exercise carrying a buoyant latin pulse and odd meter signature (13/4). There’s plenty of exuberance and plasticity coming out of the piano solo, in which Genovese dances in and out with an obstinate oblique drive. He goes through it again on the great “Saqqara”, a modal, Middle Eastern-influenced piece in 5/4 that turns to swinging motion to better serve Preminger’s authoritative statement. Before that, there’s imaginative flute fantasy.

The aforementioned numbers are Feinberg’s but there’s a fine rendition of Herbie Hancock’s mercurial and ever-swinging “The Eye of the Hurricane”, which arrives steeped bluesy configurations and features Liebman in a melodically engaging solo that zigzags with laser precision. “The Water Spirit Brought Us, The Water Spirit Will Take Us Home” is a Feinberg composition inspired by Liebman’s waltzes of the ‘70s and ‘80s. The piece has a particularly exciting Preminger solo stacked with Coltranean bends. 

The bandleader is in evidence on the latter piece, but he further shines unaccompanied on “Improvisation (for Leslie)”. After “Cycle Song”, in which electric bass and Fender Rhodes pavements refreshingly grounds it in smooth crossover territory, the album comes to an end with “Year of the Ox”, a recipient of a groovy Afro-Cuban pulse, quirky melodies and an acute sense of harmony.

In the space of four recordings, Feinberg has established himself as a resolute bandleader and composer in the traditional sense, who likes to infuse his tunes with rhythmic sustenance.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Blues Variant ► 02 - Saqqara ► 05 - The Eye of the Hurricane

Wolfgang Haffner - Silent World

Label: ACT Records, 2023

Personnel - Wolfgang Haffner: drums; Simon Oslender: piano, keyboards; Mitchel Forman: synth; Nicolas Fiszman (#5,10): bass; Thomas Stieger (#1-4, 6-9, 11): bass; Eythor Gunnarsson: synth, Rhodes; Sebastian Studnitzky: trumpet; Mark Wyand: tenor sax, flute, clarinet; Norbert Nagel: tenor sax, flute, clarinet; Bruno Müller (#1, 10): guitar; Dominic Miller (#5): guitar; Bill Evans: soprano saxophone (#1); Nils Landgren: trombone (#8); Till Brönner (#4): flugelhorn; Alma Naidu: vocals (#1-3 ,8); Rhani Krija (#4, 5): percussion.

German drummer Wolfgang Haffner is a musical pacifist who likes to paint beautiful landscapes in his music. Only one year has elapsed since the release of his last album on the ACT imprint, Dream Band Live in Concert. Apart from vibraphonist Christopher Dell and trumpeter Randy Brecker, all the musicians featured on the latter album play on Silent World: American saxophonist Bill Evans, Swedish trombonist Nils Landgren, keyboardist Simon Oeslender, and bassist Thomas Stieger. Many other guests enrich a body of work where Haffner stands poised to attract more followers.

Taking his own web of musical meaning, the drummer opens with “Here and Now”, establishing an alluring sweep that is simultaneously smoothing and propelling. The piece, which is invigorated by Evans’ soprano saxophone, takes the shape of a whirling ballad when the keyboards become noticeable. The following track, “Silent World”, unfolds softly and gently with a ternary pulse that is more akin to the pop/rock universe. Vocalist Alma Naidu and synth player Mitchel Forman are featured.

No other tune reflects and fuses so many inspirations than “La Casa”, whose attributes are closely identified with artists such as Tomas Stanko, Manu Katché and Mathias Eick. It all begins with a bass pedal and the trumpet amenities of Sebastian Studnitzky. World music influences are detected in the rhythmic flow and melody, but the group moves from a sweet, even sound to something that seems stirred up by electronic music.

With Sting’s guitarist Dominic Miller on board, “Faro” is a serene fusion piece with effective modulation and ample space to breathe. On “The Piece Inside” it’s the super melodicism practiced by the resolute flugelhorn player Till Brönner that stands out, whereas pieces like “Hope” and “Belief” are ambient rides where chill-out jazz adherents will find repose.

Despite the gentle synth washes and meek octave-modulated trumpet, “Life Magic” tries to resist the predominant ambiance with stereo percussive sweeps and a dancing rhythm that borrows from funk and Brazilian music. Haffner gathers well-honed material with a genre-crossing vision, letting things flow naturally rather than force any note or rhythm.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Here and Now ► 03 - La Casa ► 04 - The Peace Inside

George - Letters to George

Label: Out of Your Head Records, 2023

Personnel - John Hollenbeck: drums, piano, composition; Anna Webber: tenor saxophone, flute; Aurora Nealand: voice, alto and soprano saxophones, keyboards; Chiquita Magic: keyboards, voice, piano.

With an admirable career under his belt, drummer/composer/bandleader John Hollenbeck (founder of The Claudia Quintet) deserves praise for every release, and his new project, a super modern post-jazz outfit called George, is no exception. The music was specifically written and arranged to be played by creative saxophonist/flutist Anna Webber, tradition-fueled saxophonist/singer Aurora Nealand, and Colombian-born pop sensation Chiquita Magic. The results are surprisingly pleasurable as Hollenbeck and his female associates turn the preconceptions of new music upside down. All pieces, off-kilter and sensational, act as tokens of appreciation to people named George.

The opener, “Earthworker” (the translation of George in Greek) is molded with disorienting syncopated flexibility, purring keyboard arches, ethereal vocals, balmy flute, and saxophone unisons. The unpredictable shifts in Hollenbeck’s pulse are key, together with the precise synth bass punctuation and chord orderliness that serves as an anchor to Webber’s circuitous tenor solo. The following piece, “Clinton”, is dedicated to the Parliament-Funkadelic’s frontman George Clinton. It starts off with a combination of saxophone forays and thudding drum sounds, becoming less free and more focused when the keyboards enter. There’s an 28-beat-cycle vamp that reshapes effortlessly while the horns of Webber and Nealand remain interactive.

“Washington Carver” salutes the American agricultural scientist in the title with a spunky introduction. A series of summoning synth chords coalesces into a passage that is rhythmically complex, harmonically perceptible and melodically appeasing. Webber radiates energy on flute and then switches to tenor in order to maintain a head-to-head conversation with Nealand on soprano. “O’Keefe” grows in a crescendo of encouragement; while “Floyd” is a cry of despair with irreproachable drumming before all else.

“Can You Imagine This?” worked as a remote test piece for this group’s assemblage. It’s defiantly experimental, alternative and post-rock with Nealand’s haunting words, preconceived fluttering keyboards, and lots of freedom in everything else. Opposing to the relaxed ambient setting of the brushes-driven “Saunders”, there’s this glitchy electronic feel and industrial undertone coloring the closer, “Iceman”, which honors the former basketball player George Gervin.

Letters to George is explorative but never jarring, spreading sonic tinctures that blur the lines of genre. Hollenbeck’s thoughtful ideas definitely set him apart from any other drummer.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Earthworker ► 02 - Clinton ► 06 - Can You Imagine This?

East Axis - No Subject

Label: Brother Mister Productions, 2023

Personnel - Scott Robinson: tenor saxophone, trumpet, tarogato, alto clarinet, slide cornet; Matthew Shipp: piano; Kevin Ray: bass; Gerald Cleaver: drums.

The sophomore outing from East Axis, an enthralling quartet made of experienced liberal-minded improvisers, is called No Subject and showcases a pleasing contrast of tones and moods that is meant to be explored loud and with open views. For this 12-track release, the founding members - pianist Matthew Shipp, bassist Kevin Ray and drummer Gerald Cleaver - enlisted the colossal multi-reedist Scott Robinson, who sits in for the captivating saxophonist Allen Lowe.

Tearful tarogato cries appear on top of a lyrical, requiem-like accompaniment in the opener “At the Very Least”. This piece gains a certain thrust as well as some weightiness in the step, but that doesn’t refrain Robinson from expanding his taut prose. The group goes for a lighter conclusion, which opposes to the heavier measures on the ominous “Metal Sounds”, where Shipp shows his superlative technique and drive, and Robinson his command of interesting rhythmic figures over swinging patterns.

With “I Like it Very Much”, the quartet engages in a rhythmic game that includes, at its very top, boppish linearity and angular boldness. Their penchant for swinging brings to mind a mix of Monk, Mingus and Cecil Taylor (without the dissonant crashes in the lower register). “Decisions Have Already Been Made” brings the energy even further with fiery saxophone, ebullient drumming, and tangled bass threads. Shipp’s delayed entrance makes an impact via the chordal impetus. He becomes the protagonist halfway, when the group finds a lull, and then is the bittersweet tone of Robinson’s trumpet that finishes the proceedings, leaving us with a funny sensation of grumpiness.

The tensile title track pairs sinewy clarinet with racing drum clatters at the outset. Balancing the dynamics, the volatile piano playing infuses a third dimension in the flux, which is maintained with proper glow until the end. Both “Sometime Tomorrow” and “Word and Respect” evoke a different spirit as two static forms of contemplation. The former is filled with mystery, underscored by Ray’s arco and pizzicato work; the latter creates more pathos via solemn piano chords, ponderous bass lines cymbal stretching sounds, and lamenting saxophone.

No Subject is pure creativity; a respectable follow up to Cool With That (Esp-Disk', 2021), whose impact was tremendous.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - I Like it Very Much ► 05 - Decisions Have Already Been Made ► 06 - Metal Sounds

Lakecia Benjamin - Phoenix

Label: Whirlwind Recordings, 2023

Personnel - Lakecia Benjamin: alto saxophone, vocals, synth; Victor Gould: piano, organ, Fender Rhodes; Ivan Taylor: acoustic and electric bass; EJ Strickland: drums; Josh Evans: trumpet (#1,2,3,8,12,13); Nêgah Santos: percussion (#5); Wallace Roney Jr.: trumpet (#7); Anastassiya Petrova: Fender Rhodes, organ (#5); Orange Rodriguez: synth (#1,3); Jamal Nichols: bass (#2); Dianne Reeves: vocals (#4); Angela Davis: spoken word (#1,13); Sonia Sanchez: spoken word/poet (#6,7); Georgia Anne Muldrow: synth, vocals (#3); Patrice Rushen: piano (#5); Wayne Shorter: spoken word (#11).

 This new album from saxophonist and composer Lakecia Benjamin gave her plenty of stylistic variety to expand the possibilities of her instrument. Accompanied by highly malleable musicians, she included relevant guests to bolster her pertinent messages and states of mind. 

The album, co-produced with Terri Lynn Carrington (a terrific drummer and bandleader), starts off with the burning “Amerikkan Skin”, romping around the activism words of Angela Davis with a plain, direct musical speech. It incorporates unequivocal unisons with an Eastern tinge over a disarmingly effervescent texture. Benjamin’s dazzling improvisation comes with multiple figures and a revolutionary urge, while trumpeter Josh Evans steps into a different sequence of chords which also serves as a solid support for the witty dialogue that follows.

“New Mornings” injects gently grooving soul and funk in the jazzy envelope, but it’s “Phoenix”, featuring Georgia Anne Muldrow on synth and vocals, that thickens the tapestries via an accented sleek funk. The cool patterns are perfect for colorful parallel lines and a sax solo puffed up by dexterous in-and-out trajectories and clamorous trills.

Dianne Reeves brings her vocal range and unique timbre into “Mercy”, whose delicacy contrasts with the energy of “Jubilation”. The latter piece thrives under the propulsive Latin feel provided by Brazilian percussionist Nêgah Santos and the guest pianism of Patrice Rushen. The ebullience of “Moods” finds Benjamin and Evans in stark counterpoint. They are the soloists here, with drummer EJ Strickland searching for space too with an outgoing posture.

Buoyed by modal jazz and fervent spirituality, “Trane” prowls familiar musical ground as it presses forward on the heels of Benjamin’s previous album, Pursuance: The Coltranes (Ropeadope, 2020). The linguistic competence of John Coltrane and the fluidity of McCoy Tyner are evoked with the bandleader and keyboardist Victor Gould at the fore. The album is completed with “Basquiat”, a muscular avant-garde wallop that swings in homage to experimental art.

Benjamin’s grandiose comeback is replete with energy, an astonishing fluency, and strong ideas.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Amerikkan Skin ► 03 - Phoenix ► 12 - Basquiat

Derrick Gardner & The Jazz Prophets - Pan Africa

Label: Impact Jazz, 2023

Personnel - Derrick Gardner: trumpet; Robert Dixon: alto and tenor saxophone; Vincent Gardner: trombone; George Caldwell: piano; Obasi Akoto: bass; Kweku Sumbry: drums, percussion.

Proficient trumpeter Derrick Gardner, a native from Chicago, Illinois, leads the Jazz prophets - a pliable sextet furnished with expressive players - since 1991. His latest effort, Pan Africa, was inspired by a visit to Ghana and pays tribute to his ancestors, the African diaspora and the Pan African movement.

The efficient djembe work of Kweku Sumbry marks the traditional “Djemba Kan”, which serves as an introductory channel to Jackie McLean’s exuberant “Appointment in Ghana”. The vibrant hard-bop tradition of this piece swings and shines with effortless perfection. The horn players make a powerful thematic announcement and then depart for individual solos, showing no reluctance when it comes to express their individuality - the bandleader chains slippery notes with a crystal bop sparkle; saxophonist Robert Dixon shows off outside flexibility; and Derrick’s brother, the trombonist Vincent Gardner, brings an understandable language to the fore prior to the reinstatement of the theme.

If the rhythmic patterns forge ahead in the latter, then on the Dixon-penned “10,000 Ships” there’s a controlled polyrhythm that stems from gorgeous melody set against a languid 12-beat-cycle bass groove. A 4/4 rock-driven rhythm marks the B section in a tune that call to mind oodles of African slaves in the sea.

The Afro-bop demeanor in “The Sixth Village” conjures up the supple spirit of Dizzy Gillespie (with whom Gardner worked in the past), being reinforced by a strong percussive backdrop. Incandescent horn unisons spread out for a collective improvisation by the end, and in addition to the frontline members, there is a soloing opportunity for pianist George Caldwell, who deftly commands his left hand to provide structure to the textural undertones. 

The bassist Obasi Akoto is featured on Victor Day’s danceable “Highlife Suite” and on Gardner’s “Vicente, the Afro Mestizo”, one of the best pieces on the album. The propulsive African-rooted rhythm of the latter's theme forms a refreshing aural palette and a swinging motion that boosts the improvisers for another round. They speak, not just frankly, but also eloquently. 

Developed in six and in an Art Blakey’s hard-bop fashion, "Nkrumah ‘da Rulah” shows off an enveloping warm sound that is challenged by the flamboyant breaks of Sumbry as he probes beyond normal routines. This catchy album showcases a variety of rhythms and textures, celebrating Pan-Africanism with brio and intensity.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Appointment in Ghana ► 04 - The Sixth Village ► 07 - Vicente, the Afro Mestizo

Stephan Micus - Thunder

Label: ECM Records, 2023

Personnel - Stephan Micus: frame drum, dung chen, Burmese temple bells, Himalayan horse bells, ki un ki, bass zither, bowed dinding, kyeezee, shakuhachi, sarangi, nyckelharpa, kaukas, sapeh, voice, nokhan.

Thunder, the most recent release from multi-intrumentalist and world music practitioner Stephan Micus, is far from roaring despite paying tribute to several thunder gods around the world. It’s a rather sharply plotted musical excursion that keeps reimagining the limits of improvised world sounds. Micus, an eternal traveler with a long-legged career nearly exclusively made on ECM Records, plays 14 instruments here, and forges homogeneous stylistic paths in innovative ways over the course of nine tracks.

“A Song for Thor” unfolds firmly with reverberating frame drum sounds, low-pitched drones emitted by the bass zither, and - operating on a higher register - three Tibetan dung chen trumpets (Micus learned recently this four-meter long instrument at a Buddhist monastery in Katmandu and recorded it here for the very first time), and a ki un ki, a two-meter wind instrument used by the Udege people in Eastern Siberia. This musical state tiptoes into ritualistic territory, just like “A Song for Vajrapani”, whose mysticism shrouds the piece in an intriguing curtain of mystery. On the latter, the ki un ki is replaced by the nokhan, a transverse Japanese bamboo flute.

“A Song for Armazi”, with majestic percussive sweeps of bass zither and the bowed strings of the sarangis (India) and the nyckelharpa (Sweden), evokes the impressive stillness of a beautiful landscape. Taking the same instrumentation to a more melodic level, “A Song for Zeus”, flows with a gentle percussive drive, becoming one of the most immediate and compelling tracks on the album.

Both “A Song for Shango” and “A Song for Ishkur” incorporate voice layers (eight and three, respectively), kaukas (a pluriarc from South Africa) and sapeh (a lute from Borneo). They avoid commonplace with a contemplative spiritual insight.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - A Song for Thor ► 03 - A Song for Armazi ► 07 - A Song for Zeus

Mette Henriette - Drifting

Label: ECM Records, 2023

Personnel - Mette Henriette: tenor saxophone; Johan Lindvall: piano; Judith Hamann: violoncello.

After an excellent double-disc debut on ECM, Norwegian saxophonist-composer Mette Henriette returns with Drifting, a chamber jazz trio effort with pianist Johan Lindvall and cellist Judith Hamann. Inhabiting a world of intrinsic ambiguity, this 15-track offer oft lags in serene atmospheres where everyone listens sharply to one another.

Displaying achingly reflective moods with an erudite temperament, the tunes comprising this album reveal a certain poignant vulnerability but also a calm and confident expression. “Across the Floor” and “Chassé” flow with a three time feel, in an egalitarian interaction that blends European jazz elements and classical chamber music.

“I villvind” is one of the most beautiful segments of this musical trail, radiating otherworldly beauty through undercurrents of utopian saxophone melody, sensible tidal piano fluxes and elegant cello. The serene contemplation continues with the title track, which suggests clear skies and a soft cold breeze. Modulation and circularity are considered in the three-layer instrumentation that engenders a breathable texture with surprising tenderness. “Oversoar” slowly prolongs this shimmering minimalism that is not so simple to achieve as one might think.

In her compositional material, Henriette seems to declare and confide, benefiting from the deep sympathy between her and her co-workers. “Rue de Renard”, for example, has pure, balmy saxophone lines sliding across the smooth wavy fabric at the bottom. On the other hand, “A Choo” is carved out with some improvisation and unisons over a relentless piano figure. A distinctive sound and delicate lyricism distinguish the music of Henriette, from whom we expect great things in the future. 

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Across the Floor ► 03 - I villvind ► 08 - Rue de Renard

Satoko Fujii - Hyaku, One Hundred Dreams

Label: Libra Records, 2022

Personnel - Satoko Fujii: piano, composition; Ingrid Laubrock: tenor saxophone; Sara Schoenbeck: bassoon; Wadada Leo Smith: trumpet; Natsuki Tamura: trumpet; Ikue Mori: electronics; Brandon Lopez: bass; Tom Rainey: drums; Chris Corsano: drums.

For her 100th album as a leader, the prolific avant-garde jazz pianist and composer Satoko Fujii assembles a tight-knit nine-piece ensemble filled with talent. The five-part suite that constitutes Hyaku, One Hundred Dreams was composed at home during Covid years, and matured into a compelling work captured live at The DiMenna Center in NYC. 

With undeniable virtuosity, Fujii’s dreams begin enigmatic, dreamy and explorative with piano, percussion and electronics giving the example. They are later joined by the booming bass notes of Brandon Lopez, who makes his debut under the command of the bandleader. After a noisy collective passage, it’s the bassoonist Sara Schoenbeck, another novelty in Fujii’s new lineup, who shines with melodic attentiveness and timbral expansion. Following Wadada Leo Smith’s short yet alluring trumpet reverie, the pair of drummers - Tom Rainey and Chris Corsano - assumes a centripetal forward pull with energy. Ceremonial unisons give the piece its conclusion.

The Japanese trumpeter Natsuki Tamura takes control of “Part 2” in its inception, but the grinding bowed bass of the final section oozes some shades that go well with the previous buzzing, low-pitched fervor. “Part 3” features saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock in fashionable creativity with bass and drums. The other horn players work as tension inducers, but it’s the clusters of trumpet, electronics and drums that build up distinct layers of sound. Flurries of notes with exploratory impulses and impetuous interjections are part of the melodic thrust created by Laubrock and Schoenbeck. They maintain the momentum here, taking us directly to “Part 4”, where wonderful accented lines and a flowing angularity recall Andrew Hill. Electronic artist Ikue Mori organizes a section of her own, and then we have brass instruments and woodwinds in polyphonic counterpoint. Laubrock steps forward though, radiating interesting voicings with a handful of extended techniques. There’s no stiff metronomics but rather a free-flowing stream that benefits all these broad-minded improvisers. 

“Part 5” brings the suite to a close, apparently as a self-possessed melodic configuration with a perceptible harmonic underpin. But then, things expand into multiple debate with the four horns at the center, and encouraging rock-prompted fluxes that also put the drummers in the foreground. Fujii, a tireless dreamer, is a creative force with an envelope-pushing imagination. She’s found here in the pinnacle of her compositional capacities.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - One Hundred Dreams, Part One ► 03 - Part Three ► 04 - Part Four

Fred Hersch & Esperanza Spalding - Alive at the Village Vanguard

Label: Palmetto Records, 2022

Personnel - Fred Hersch: piano; Esperanza Spalding: vocals.

Without major arrangements, this piano-voice duo recording captured live at New York's Village Vanguard, shows off the many musical qualities of Fred Hersch and Esperanza Spalding. The pair imbues most of the tunes with a quirky perspective and humor, but I felt this work more as an audience entertainment rather than an audio recording to be revisited.

Gershwin’s “But Not For Me” swings in rubato time with theatrical posture and a kind of jocularity in the words. Spalding’s vocal solo is followed by Hersch's contrapuntal notes professed in different registers of the piano. The musicians waste no time showing melodic agility on “Dream of Monk”, a tune with lyrics from the pianist, which had been previously  included on his 2012 trio album Alive at the Vanguard (with bassist John Hébert and drummer Eric McPherson). Due to its nature, there’s an ample improvisational window turned into playful and intuitive interaction. Monk’s mysterious ways are evoked and exhaled at every breath with fluid changes of rhythm and intonation. 

The homage to the iconic pianist of “Round Midnight” is intensified with a rendition of one of his tunes: “Evidence”, here made wondrous in detail by Hersch after a responsive introduction. The vocalist shines on the latter piece but finds new spaces on “Loro”, where the Brazilian folk complexities of its composer, Egberto Gismonti, is dismantled by an effortless communication with her accompanist. Their deep-seated instinct takes the form of a slinky celebration on Charlie Parker’s calypso-bop flavored “Little Suede Shoes”, where there’s an inclination for percussive extended techniques and the low registers.

“Girl Talk” is made rightfully critical by Spalding but didn’t catch my ear, just like “A Wish”, the discreet closing number penned by Hersch and Norma Winstone and firstly recorded in 2003 to be included on their duo album Songs & Lullabies.

Mostly traditionally low-key, this is an album to be played once, not twice… and here comes Monk again!

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Dream of Monk ► 05 - Evidence ► 07 - Loro

Igor Lumpert Innertextures - I Am the Spirit of the Earth

Label: Clean Feed, 2022

Personnel - Igor Lumpert: tenor saxophone; Greg Ward: alto saxophone; Peter Evans: trumpet; Chris Tordini: double bass; Kenny Grohowski: drums; Jeff Miles: guitar (#1,2,4,5,9); John Ellis: bass clarinet (#1,2,4,5,7); Caleb Curtis: alto saxophone (#4,8,9).

Slovenian saxophonist and composer Igor Lumpert enlisted a wonderful group of collaborators for I Am The Spirit of the Earth, the sophomore album with his Innertextures project. The complexity within the outlined structure of some pieces doesn’t remove space for improvisation, reflecting his creative spirit in terms of consistency, focus and fire.

Opening the door to a vibrant experience, “Roots” benefits from the nimble movements of bass clarinetist John Ellis in the textural work, who is joined by chained horn-driven lines and the guitar of Jeff Miles. There’s a rambling, effervescent saxophone solo from Lumpert, followed by a precise, acute statement by trumpeter Peter Evans, who enjoys the dynamic comping provided by guitar, bass and drums. 

“Slovenian Fight Song” is split into two different cuts. The first part puts on display spectacular saxophone statements, while the second, being shorter, feels more orchestral-centered with plenty of unisons at start, an 13/4 meter in the groove, and a powerhouse saxophone solo with motifs and rhythmic stunting. 

The title track starts off as a mystic meditation but ends in a constructive saxophone counterstatement with solos by Lumpert and Greg Ward over an agitated ground. In the same way, with splendid dynamics, “Zoo Frog” boasts staccato-filled phrasing and fascinating counterpoint. Following a striking saxophone solo developed over a poised comping of bass and drums, is Ellis who captivates as he lowers the range of the notes with authoritative pronouncement.

The facility and joy put into this well-written music is mirrored on “Rimbaud”, where the alto saxophonists Caleb Curtis and Ward giddily respond to each other in witty dialogue. The final window, framed as an avant-chamber-jazz vamping, shows off excellent work by the drummer Kenny Grohowski.

Lumpert knits all the pieces together with ecstatic vision, and the result is an organic work that makes every risk feel right and necessary.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Roots ► 03 - Slovenian Fight Song, Part 2 ► 08 - Rimbaud

Jon Irabagon - Rising Sun

Label: Irabbagast Records, 2022

Personnel - Jon Irabagon: tenor saxophone; Matt Mitchell: piano, Fender Rhodes; Chris Lightcap: electric, acoustic bass (#4); Dan Weiss: drums.
Guests: Miles Okazaki: guitar (#3,6); Adam O’Farrill: trumpet (#5,7).

Walking blazing trails that show all his musicality and technical prowess, saxophonist Jon Irabagon puts together seven incredible pieces inspired by and composed during a post-pandemic-restrictions road trip to the American Mountain States (South Dakota, Idaho, Utah, Colorado and Wyoming).

On the album, aptly titled Rising Sun, Irabagon is joined by a virtuosic rhythm section that includes the ultra-modern keyboardist Matt Mitchell, the sturdy bassist Chris Lightcap, who eschewed his usual upright for an electric bass guitar (the sped-up rendition of Dizzy Gillespie’s “Bebop” is the exception), and the driving drummer Dan Weiss. 

The session, dedicated to saxophonist Barry Bergstrom, starts freely bouncing with “Sundance”, which sets the mood with excitement and post-bop verve. Irabagon’s language is professed with impressive details and superb articulation. After unison segments with Mitchell, it's the pianist who deconstructs with polyrhythmic consciousness. This number becomes balmy, mellow and bluesy, inviting Lightcap for a solo, and then vamps with circular demeanor in the changes, gaining a dimension that evokes the folk jazz of Keith Jarrett, the avant-garde intensity of David Murray, and the sophistication of Sonny Rollins.

“Alliance” cuts across in post-modern fashion. Apart from anything else, Weiss introduces the proceedings, and his work is subsequently consolidated with a motivic, wildly loping bass line full of funk. In the background, Mitchell is on the loose, while Irabagon, making a delayed entrance, expands the motif at the base during his powered flight. In the third part of the song, the group installs a pulsating Latin feel, escalating into a spirituality that recalls Pharoah Sanders.

The bandleader launches “Hoodootoo” unaccompanied, moderately growling with expression and extracting focused pitches from his horn. Intervallic mosaics stimulate the group, here turned into a quintet due to the responsively rowdy presence and progressive vision of guest guitarist Miles Okazaki. Amping the energy to new heights via stitching wha-wha fabrics, the latter also plays on “Rising Sun”, a nearly hallucinogenic trip set in motion with rapturous free-funk liberties.

Trumpeter Adam O’Farrill builds a formidable frontline coalition with Irabagon on two numbers: the cool but heavy in pace “Mammoth”, which is initially peppered by the saxophonist with inside/outside agility, metric balance and soulful posture; and the closing “Needles”, where the dance continues with Weiss momentarily on the spotlight.

Abounding in freshness, this is a pure saxophone treat that shows why Irabagon is one of the most foremost saxophonists of our times.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Sundance ► 05 - Mammoth ► 06 - Rising Sun

Simone Basile - Morning Raga

Label: Emme Record Label, 2022

Personnel - Simone Basile: guitar; Manuel Caliumi: saxophones; Enzo Carniel: piano; Ferdinando Romano: double bass; Giovanni Paolo Liguori: drums.

Inspired by the spirituality that emerges from Indian ragas, Italian guitarist/composer Simone Basile put together nine tightly composed numbers for a session whose contemporaneity and adaptability are very much on display.

Following “Bob Alert”, an effect-drenched guitar introduction with an enveloping role and the words of Bob Kennedy in the back, we can perceive that the members of this quintet are far from strangers. By sharing artistic sensibilities and an uncanny musical rapport, the group mounts “Morning Raga”, the most beautiful track on the record, with a dazzling collective aptitude. A stunning entrance motivated by thematic cohesiveness gives the song a great hook that is expanded by the soloists - saxophonist Manuel Caliumi and Basile - who fly through the clever changes with expressiveness. Employing a cool tone, the former finds a few pauses to better shape his well-developed phrases; the latter brings emotion and excitement during a resonating guitar statement. These same two musicians engage in a dynamic dialogue on “Moak’s Shop”, a tune with agreeable melodicism and rich harmonic pavement, and fight a pacific duel with distinct timbres on the rock-shaded “Macci 36”, where spotless parallel lines go well with the rhythmic certainty underneath.

“Hope” is played unhurriedly and rubato in one moment, and with a throbbing, prayerful vagueness next. It combines bowed bass, atmospheric guitar, tremolo piano textures, toms and cymbal enlightenment, and serviceable saxophone lines. “Hamsadhwani” is a raga flowing in five with persistent Eastern tinges and fusion undertones materialized by the French keyboardist Enzo Carniel. The crisp unison melody of the theme reveals a relative complexity that never overshadows accessibility.

With his latest release, Basile proves his growth in the art of music making. And a nice, flowing energy comes out of his compelling compositional efforts. 

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Morning Raga ► 03 - Moak’s Shop ► 06 - Hope

Matthieu Mazué Trio - We Stay Still

Label: Jazzdoor, 2022

Personnel - Matthieu Mazué: piano; Xaver Rüegg: double bass; Michael Cina: drums.

We Stay Still is Mathieu Mazué Trio’s intriguing follow up to Cortex (Unit Records, 2021). The album, made up entirely of original compositions and presented with as much discipline as freedom, passes the idea of ‘through-composed’ momentum.

“White Fields” is launched with demonstrative, poignant piano playing; shivering in the way Mazué employs intervals and surfaces. The bassist Xaver Rüegg, whose notes notably lock in with the drummer Michael Cina’s drive, delivers a sophisticated if enigmatic solo, benefitting from apt piano support in the upper registers. Roughly felt as a haunting dirge, this piece bears some similar qualities as “Au Plus Profond Des Steppes”, where we find some volatility in the footprint and accuracy in the rhythmic accents; the enigmatic tones turning it picturesque and slightly labyrinthine in the side paths.

The trio gives it all on “Supply Chains”, whose rhythmic ferociousness will probably make your head and feet move back and forth. It’s like if punk rock had met electronic music with a marvelously inventive touch. The confident alliance between the bassist and the drummer paves the way, with the two-hand dexterity of Mazué’s incursions fanning out across the surface. “Knocks” can also be frenetic, vigorous and complex, but alternates moods via more meditative atmospheres.

Tension-filled blocks are constituent of “Dislocation”, revealing a modern kind of swing with breaks and abrupt runs, whereas “Shells” denotes a more conventional swinging flow that empowers Rüegg and Cina to trade fours with a conversant disposition.

Cerebral but with a loose fluidity, “Standing Black Shape” is the longest track of the record, lasting more than 12 minutes. Despite the systemic approach, the journey is eventful, ending up in a motivic concentration of sound.

Mazué’s modernist trio has a lot to give to contemporary jazz, unwrapping inspirations and talking idioms of their own creation.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Au Plus Profond Des Steppes ► 03 - Supply Chains ► 05 - Dislocation

PAN - I Had a Dream

Label: Creative Sources, 2022

Personnel - Jung-Jae Kim: tenor saxophone; Vít Beneš: electric guitar; Joel Haag: acoustic guitar; Shafeeq Alsadi: qanun; Farshad Saremi: kamancheh.

PAN is an international quintet based in Sweden with a peculiar instrumentation that includes saxophone, acoustic and electric guitars, qanun (an Arabic type of zither) and kamancheh (an Iranian bowed string instrument). The group has a different way of dealing with sound, running seven composed cuts (by saxophonist Jung-Jae Kim) in programmatic fashion. Their experimentalism often takes the form of avant-garde collages bound to suggest shadings and contrapuntal complexities.

“Air Dream” comes wrapped in sonic ambiguity, heavily contrasting with the motorized flux of sounds of “Road Driving”, where the sensation of speed and acceleration is notorious, and “Bricks Battery”, whose motivic patterns involve considerable warping. 

In a first phase, “Wave Voice” combines the multiphonic sounds of the saxophonist and the erratic bowing of the kamancheh player Farshad Saremi. Surrounded by a buzzing aura and immersed in a dreamlike state, they are joined by the incantatory plucking of the qanun, while the guitarists contribute slightly discording configurations. All tracks follow unconventional notation, but catchy melodic lines are introduced here with good judgement, taking a special effect on the Eastern-tinged “Radio Nostalgia”. This is a romantic, if poignant, number with vocalized expression. 

The exploratory tendencies of the quintet, which employs alternative techniques, are felt even more on “Siren Sopor”. This one, shaped up by noisy saxophone in tireless circularity, carries an ambient stillness created by the qanun, and some eerie, low-pitched tones in the background.

PAN’s adventurous creative styling relies on curious themes that breathe, clink, clank, and noodle together, sometimes in a low simmer, other times in a controlled state of trepidation.

Favorite Tracks:
03 - Wave Voice ► 04 - Siren Sopor ► 06 - Radio Nostalgia

Gonzalo Rubalcaba & Trio D'Été - Turning Point

Label: 5Passion Records, 2022

Personnel - Gonzalo Rubalcaba: piano; Matt Brewer: bass; Eric Harland: drums.

Technically advanced, the Cuban-born pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba boasts above-the-average rhythmic skills in front of the keyboard. Turning Point, the follow-up to Skyline (5Passion, 2021), signals the second installment in a trilogy of trios that intends to explore new sounds with different cohorts. Here, his Trio D’Eté features two other rhythmic experts, bassist Matt Brewer and drummer Eric Harland, with whom he worked on other occasions.

“Infantil”, a flourishing piece dedicated to the fusion guitar icon John McLaughlin, opens the program as a rhythmic mesh that includes swinging parts and multiple breaks in the flow. Influences of Latin, funk and straight-ahead jazz are condensed in the ideas that flow effortlessly from Rubalcaba’s fingers. From the beginning, Brewer’s big bass sound imposes the step, and the ever-responsive Harland extemporizes intermittently in a few bar exchanges with his colleagues.

Like the aforementioned number, which was included on the album Avatar (Blue Note, 2008), both “Otra Mirada” and “The Hard One” were previously recorded. Originally a bolero, the former is a bit extended and doesn’t appeal much to me, while the latter is a motivic, fluid, and staccato-charged piece with shades of Chick Corea and some Bartok and Stravinsky inspirations.

More meditative, and contrasting with the fervent swinging mechanisms of the short-lived “Turning I” and “Turning II”, “Ikú” is a mournful Yoruba-inspired dirge that turns out emotionally honest in its melodicism. It becomes more diffuse and energetic with the time, facilitating Harland’s (brushes/mallets) competence to stand out.

The disc ends with the brightly colored “Joy, Joie”, specifically written by Rubalcaba for this trio. It follows a simple AABA structure over which you'll find great piano playing and an exciting vamp that stimulates the drummer to create and extend elegant chops. 

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Infantil ► 06 - The Hard One ► 07 - Joy, Joie

Patricia Brennan - More Touch

Label: Pyroclastic Records, 2022

Personnel - Patricia Brennan: vibraphone; Kim Cass: double bass; Mauricio Herrera: percussion; Marcus Gilmore: drums.

More Touch is a courageous step and important record from Patricia Brennan, a wonderful vibraphonist who is rapidly becoming one of the most innovative on today’s contemporary jazz scene. The nature of her compositions gives the quartet the chance to stretch and test boundaries, and the musicians respond by adding a unique dimension to her creative vein. Brennan is seen shoulder to shoulder with a talented rhythm team: bassist Kim Cass, who is an expert in form, texture and groove; the skillful Cuban percussionist Mauricio Herrera; and Marcus Gilmore, an unreservedly modern drummer who surprises in every project he participates.

The rhythmically charged “Unquiet Respect” opens with a samba sequence, later given harmonic perspective with Cass’ groovy underpin and Brennan’s rapturous vibing work. Slightly bendable in pitch, her trance jazz dance from the outer space resulted from the mix of reggae and soca (a blend of African and East Indian rhythms) of her hometown of Veracruz, Mexico.

The title cut can be classified as a psychedelic electro ambient that gets polyrhythmically turbulent before the ending. Reserved but with a sophisticated intimate ambiance, “The Woman Who Weeps” is a modal-induced exertion whose strong spiritual connotation comes from its inspiration: the Mother of Sorrows (Mater Dolorosa).

Clocking in at nearly 15 minutes, “Space for Hour” is all about space, silence and atmospheric enchantment. Attentive listeners will detect ghostly moments, vamping grooves, impeccable rhythmic accentuation, and passionate improvs. The fascination created by the jazz harmonies and its fearless drive can also be heard on “El Nahualli (The Shadow of Soul)”, whose odd-metered theme Brennan defines with a great melodic sense. Having its immense percussive work as a consistent sustain, this piece emanates a strange warmth throughout.

Cass becomes an undertow of his own conscience during the explanatory bass intro of “Convergences”, as well as in the first part of “Robbin”, which firstly depicts silent snowy landscapes before expanding horizons with a rock-inspired texture that approves spontaneity. The quartet finalizes with the ritualistic “And There Was Light”, where the Batá drums, largely used in Cuba’s Santeria, is preponderant. 

There’s nothing conventional here, with Brennan trailing a musical path that we very much urge you to explore.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Unquiet Respect ► 03 - Space for Hour ► 04 - El Nahualli

Darren Pickering Small Worlds - Volume One

Label: Rattle Records, 2022

Personnel - Darren Pickering: piano, modular synth, iPad; Mitch Dwyer: guitar; Pete Fleming: bass; Mitch Thomas: drums.

New Zealander keyboardist and composer Darren Pickering leads his Small Worlds project - a quartet with guitar, bass and drums - in an intimate session recorded between October and December 2021. The group churns out some interesting ideas while keeping cool introspection in practice, opening the record with the delicately woven “Simple Ballad”. The title may give you a hint about space and pace, but doesn’t tell you about the sizzling sound of tightly brushed cymbals, melodies that stir emotions, and the compatible combination of keys and strings. Pickering and guitarist Mitch Dwyer indicate they know exactly what their function is within the song.

“Moody 7” is an iterative exercise in seven that makes me think of a crossing between E.S.T. and Radiohead. The jazzy rock flavors of these bands are also expressed on “Ixtapa”, whose symmetric texture is garnished with tasteful electronic elements. Influenced by other styles, Pickering infuses a classical feel and short-lasting polyphony on “In the Know(er)”, a piece that, in due course, drops the 4/4 tempo to hold a steady triple feel.

Some tunes would benefit from a less polished production. Such is the case with “Klazmus”, which compensates with an energy-packed solo from Pickering. “Standing”, co-penned by the bandleader and the multi-instrumentalist Andrew McMillan, sets relaxed unison lines against an exciting rhythmic drive that brings to mind Aaron Parks Little Big. The solid interplay asks for more individual explosion here. Although that doesn’t happen, the group takes leave by spreading out feel-good vibes on “Strega Tone Poem”, where Pickering’s modular synth melody works as a recurring theme.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Simple Ballad ► 02 - Moody 7 ► 03 - In the Know(er)

Dezron Douglas - Atalaya

Label: International Anthem, 2022

Personnel - Emilio Modeste: saxophone; George Burton: piano, rhodes; Dezron Douglas: electric and acoustic bass; Joe Dyson: drums + guest: Melvis Santa: vocals, percussion (#5).

Atalaya, the new outing by New York bassist/composer Dezron Douglas (Pharoah Sanders, Ravi Coltrane), involves a cohesive quartet and consists of ten originals. One of them, “Wheeping Birch” was co-written with the Cuban singer Melvis Santa, who contributes melodious words in Spanish. On this particular cut, an articulated electric bass solo conveys rich, deep tones within an easy, relaxed phrasing. 

In general, the album is a kaleidoscope of grooves and moods that hooks us up right from the start. The title track nurtures an adventurous 13-beat-cycle groove with charming soprano melody dripping from above. The smart deconstruction of tempo leads to inevitably modulation, and the group takes a good dip in the rich texture with a free-floating frame of mind. 

“Rosé” passes a certain breezy feel that evokes green nature and upper blue skies. With a three time feel making the way, it's the saxophonist Emilio Modeste that rips out improvised lines that bristle with tension and release. He wows again on “Coyoacan”, employing a Coltranean vernacular that adjusts to the oscillation between conscious briskness and swinging brightness. On “More Coffee Please”, the saxophonist has in the pianist George Burton a solid co-conspirator in the improvisation. Moved by an uptempo locomotion, this latter tune behaves like an energetic post-bop boost that ripples with angst.

Douglas grooves with notes that slip in and out of the space on “Luna Moth”. The bandleader delivers an unaccompanied solo that leads to a transient unison melody with Modeste, who, shortly after, carries out all the talking while Douglas engages in a vibrant swinging progression. Before the bolero-flavored “Foligno” closes out the session, there’s “Octopus”, which, after an introductory bass monologue delivered with a magnetic, pitch-bending effect, ends up with a functional integration of melody and harmonic drive.

With the assistance of his valuable peers, Douglas put together a fine album that, nott being groundbreaking, demonstrates his musical virtues.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Atalaya ► 02 - Rosé ► 04 - Luna Moth