David Virelles - Carta

Label: Intakt Records, 2023

Personnel - David Virelles: piano; Ben Street: bass; Eric McPherson: drums.

Cuban-born David Virelles has proven to be one of the most virtuosic and technically adept pianists out there. He recorded with Andrew Cyrille, Chris Potter, Henry Threadgill, and Tomasz Stanko, but when it comes to his own original compositions he often draws from his roots. Those Afro-Cuban influences are suitable for twisting with versatile contemporary touches of post-bop and avant-garde jazz. The follow-up to Nuna (Pi, 2022), Carta, is a fine all-around trio showcase for his expandable and improvisational crossovers. Joining him here are bassist Ben Street and drummer Eric McPherson.

“Uncommon Sense” kicks off the album with an unaccompanied piano intro that leads to a slick bass line churned by Street as the pivotal groove. Balancing between expressive soloing and closely bound ensemble work, the piece denotes an incessant cymbal spark that confers a refractive scintillation.

“NYChepinsón” bears an authorial brisk persona, providing one of the most animated sections of the disc. Busy drum thwacks and solid bass lines accommodate the incredible motif at the center of the theme. A brief mambo incursion attests that linguistic barriers are not a problem here, and the trio returns to the point of departure for a fluid piano improvisation. Starting off with classical movements, “Tiempos” feels like straight-ahead Cuban jazz expressed with lots of feeling. Combining gaiety and passion, the trio reharmonizes their path toward the triumphing avant-jazz that brings it to a conclusion.

Both low-key, the title track and “Samio” have methodical, nimble percussion and sympathetic airy bass moves making good company to the meditative piano playing. They probably won’t thrill the listeners as much as “Confidencial”, which is the sole non-original composition on the album. Penned by the Cuban timbalero and rhythm creator Enrique Bonne, this rich number, structured with imaginative sequences, goes from a clear piano statement delivered with beautiful melody and lush cluster chords to a taut rhythmic drive, and then a solo piano passage before landing on an evocative sultry danzón from Cuba.

This phenomenal hybridity denotes sophistication in the process. Virelles and his associates make it cerebral and adventurous by turns, as well as fairly accessible.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Uncommon Sense ► 02 - Confidencial ► 04 - NYChepinsón

The End - Why Do You Mourn

Label: Trost Records, 2023

Personnel - Sofia Jernberg: voice; Mats Gustafsson: baritone saxophone, flutes, electronics; Kjetil Møster: clarinet, tenor saxophone, electronics; Anders Hana: baritone and bass guitars, langeleik; Børge Fjordheim: drums.

The apocalyptic North European post-jazz-rock outfit, The End, released its third album, Why Do You Mourn, a collection of seven eerie contemporary pieces that fuse dark and mystic sounds with style-defying personality.

“Snow” inaugurates this peculiar excursion with a gloomy, suspenseful underpinning empowered by Anders Hana’s nebulous baritone guitar. The gnarly vocals of Sofia Jernberg and the saxophones of Mats Gustafsson and Kjetil Møster go nearly arm in arm; the scintillating drum work of Børge Fjordheim adopts a phlegmatic talkative vein at this point, becoming more ferocious over the following 12-bar heavy-rock vamp that sustains a clamorous tenor solo. After a sudden break, we wake up in another sonic world via a calm folk-infused passage driven by langeleik, a droned Norwegian zither. This gives the piece a sort of medieval, Eastern-tinged quality.

“Doomfunk MCs” is pelted with blasts of baritone guitar, saxophone multiphonics, atmospheric electronics, and petrifying horror-induced vocals. Despite the darkness, it will take you to a serenely composed landscape at the end. Totally divergent, “Winter Doesn’t End” comes immersed in world music erudition with langeleik and flute at the center.

“Wasted Blame” takes the form of an elliptical dance with noise guitar at the base and enthusiastic horn unisons atop. Jernberg’s vocals arrive by the end, accompanied by wailful baritone sax winds. On occasion, the saxophonists steal the show, but the vocalist excels on “Whose Face”, a doom metal anthem in the guise of a common tune with particularly discernible melody and harmony. The drummer displaces the rhythm flow, taking the guitarist with him at some point, and then comes a powerful, agonizing tenor improvisation by Møster.

The album comes to an end with the simmering “Black Vivaldi Sonata”, a surprising incursion into R&B with a menacing guitar drone, disconcerting beat, and multi-layered vocalization. Ending with electronic clatter, this would have given another great funk hit for Prince to sing.

Playful on one side, inexorably severe on the other, The End’s experimentation here don’t surpass those of the previous albums. Yet, if you like your music pummeled with staggering revelations and sinister sensations, then this is a disc you should try.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Snow ► 03 - Wasted Blame ► 05 - Whose Face

Tyshawn Sorey Trio - Continuing

Label: Pi Recordings, 2023

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

Drummer and composer Tyshawn Sorey has been a leading light in the innovative contemporary jazz movement. His trio album Mesmerism (Pi Recordings) was a career high, undoubtedly one of the best albums of 2022. Now, he returns alongside Matt Brewer on bass and Aaron Diehl on piano for four non-originals. 

Continuing, which was recorded over two days, opens with Wayne Shorter’s “Reincarnation Blues”, an assuredly crafted back-to-the-basics number stirred by convoluted piano cascades near the end. Fairly softened here, this tune was made public by Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers, being the fourth track of the veneered drummer’s 1963 album Buhaina's Delight (Blue Note).

The 15-minute version of Ahmad Jamal’s “Seleritus” is elegantly mounted with a bass pedal point, dreamy piano playing, and refined hi-hat and ride cymbal touches that punctuate the whole with delicacy. There’s a certain modal intonation that is quite alluring, but also this old-time ‘ballroom’ dynamics over which a stylish bass solo takes place. The trio’s affinity for jazz tradition is on display, but Sorey dresses this tune up with excellent tom-tom work by the end, with Diehl throwing in forceful piano chords to pack a punch.

The slow motion returns with the ballad standard “Angel Eyes”. This 1946 composition by Matt Denis gets a rubato treatment at the outset, acquiring a three-time feel while sparingly ornamented with graceful piano and smoothly dragging brushes.

To conclude, the trio tackles Harold Mabern’s “In What Direction Are You Headed?”, a lesser known tune by the late pianist which first appeared on trumpeter Lee Morgan’s The Last Section (Blue Note). Expressed with élan, it is a groove-centered, funk-meets-post-bop piece, which, including a vamping 14-beat cycle controlled by Brewer, is turned motivically playful by Diehl’s skittering turns over the keyboard.

Although effective, as it revives old tunes (both widely known and unsung) that are extremely pleasing to the ear, this new trio session doesn’t match Mesmerism in strength and magnetism. 

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Seleritus ► 04 - In What Direction Are You Headed?

Richard Andersson NOR feat. Hilmar Jensson - Undo

Label: Hobby Horse Records, 2023

Personnel - Hilmar Jensson: guitar; Oskar Gudjonsson: tenor saxophone; Richard Andersson: bass; Matthias Hemstock: drums.

Danish bassist/composer Richard Andersson invites the notable Icelandic guitarist Hilmar Jensson, who contributes three of his own compositions, to join his NOR trio for a highly-engaging eight-track studio session. With 100 concerts under its belt, the trio has saxophonist Oskar Gudjonsson and drummer Matthias Hemstock pitching in to put a distinctive touch on the music.

Contemplatively melancholy with consistent spaciousness and dark surroundings, Undo kicks off with Jensson’s “Serenity”, whose title reflects what you’ll get. All three members of the rhythm section are in perfect consciousness of their sounds, painting tranquil landscapes with impressionistic descriptions. Jensson’s crisp and atmospheric guitar playing stands out; Andersson’s bass lines conduct and clear up the way; and Gudjonsson only makes his horn sing two minutes before the end.

This sheer languidity segues into Andersson’s odd-metered “Undo”, transporting us to an ambient environment that is rich in lyricism. In the wake of the beautiful theme, there are logical and confident statements from guitar, sax and bass. Also composed by the bandleader, “Wall” is an achingly tearful ballad whose smooth harmonies aim to the soul. Jensson’s solo is made of pure feeling, while the minimalistic drumming offered by Hemstrock is something special. 

The drummer also shines on the Gudjonsson-penned “Sun Ra”, pushed forward by a boom-bap beat controlled by glancing cross-stick hits. A prominent bass figure then lays out a 10-beat cycle that swings with no major startles, benefitting from tranquil saxophone aphorisms atop. The saxophone player also added his “Helmingur Buinn” to the list. There’s wide-angled freedom here, with distorted guitar and unlooked-for syncopation creating an illusion of fracture at the core.

The album wraps up with two Jensson’s compositions: “Tundra”, which was composed for his Bly De Blyant trio in 2015, and the incandescent if poignant “Star”, whose interesting metric {3+3+3+2} takes the familiar instrumentation in an unexpected direction.

Andersson, whose musical interest developed at the age 14, when he went blind due to a fireworks accident, played with Gerry Bergonzi, George Garzone and Bill McHenry outside Denmark. On this splendid, organic album, he and his associates engage in a type of interplay that feels like a shared heartbeat.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Serenity ► 02 - Undo ► 03 - Helmingur Buinn

Alex LoRe & Weirdear - Evening Will Find Itself

Label: Whirlwind Recordings, 2023

Personnel - Alex LoRe: alto saxophone; Glenn Zaleski: piano; Desmond White: double bass; Allan Mednard: drums.

Saxophonist/composer Alex LoRe, who has been leaving his mark on projects by saxophonist Lucas Pino and pianists Marta Sanchez and Steven Feifke, reunites his intriguing Weirdear quartet, featuring pianist Glenn Zaleski, bassist Desmond White, and the sought-after drummer Allan Mednard. Succeeding to Karol (Challenge Records, 2019), the ensemble’s sophomore release is called Evening Will Find Itself, now out on the UK label Whirlwind Recordings.

LoRe charts a course all his own, pushing the envelope with ambiguity and inquisitive glance, which are important facets of his playing. Considering the case of “Stripes”, the album’s opener about the rigidness that is consuming our cultural consciousness: there’s enough harmonic richness and rhythmic detail in the ingenious combination of elements that define the fabric of this quartet. LoRe pronounces the main melody with absorbed beauty, segueing into a venerable improvised journey that brings his curious ideas to fruition. The comping provided by Zaleski is tastefully ornamented, and White’s unstoppable bass work toggles between pedals and enlivening motions.

“Face Unseen” has a propensity to meditation, and is derived from the inevitable association between technology and loneliness in our days. Judge for yourself those seamless variations graced with lyricism and dreamlike tones. “Silent Ship” kicks off with balladic restraint before establishing a 10-beat cycle bass groove traversed by saxophone lines that culminate in a multiphonic shout. There’s a gradual building of climax here.

“Fauxlosophy” is fantastically accented and imaginatively crafted with a resilient sense of tempo in its rhythm juxtapositions, but the most impressive piece is “Green”, a tribute to LoRe’s mentor, the saxophonist Bunky Green. The theme is mesmerizing, and the saxophone statement shaped with obtuse angles, pointy spikes, but also expressively beautiful melody. The tight-knit work in the back by Mednard and White brings perspective and cohesiveness to a piece that also includes a solo by Zaleski before the final head.

Three short narratives, titled “Radiance I, II and III”, highlight different members of the quartet in dynamic reciprocity, whereas “At Shore” is stylishly interwoven with a rubato kickoff, transient 3/4 passages with bowed bass at the center, and a 4/4 finale dipped in a spectacle of color.

The group navigates LoRe’s wondrous compositions with that kind of intuitive interplay that is only possible when a strong chemistry is present.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Stripes ► 04 - Silent Ship ► 06 - Green

Lurch Purse - Don't Mess With Lurch Purse

Label: Mother Brain Records, 2023

Personnel - Michael Eaton: tenor saxophone; Max Kutner: electric guitar; Kevin Shea: drums.

The collaborative free-improv trio Lurch Purse, composed of saxophonist Michael Eaton (James Brandon Lewis, Dave Liebman and Lionel Loueke appeared on his recordings), guitarist Max Kutner (Grandmothers of Invention) and drummer Kevin Shea (Most Other People Do the Killing, Peter Evans Quartet), debuts with Don’t Mess With Lurch Purse, an album whose title works like a warning for the avalanche of tense and intense sounds built.

Their rough-around-the-edges approach has authoritative saxophone expressions combined with guitar interjections and irregular drumming, giving way to unstoppable forays - Eaton explores range and multiphonics within blunt-toned phrases, Kutner delves into roaring distorted rampages inspired by thrash metal, and Shea provides rambunctious drum work with unremitting energy. 

Following this first improvisation titled “Five Years in a Concrete Egg”, comes “Boite de Lune”, which offers air sounds and long saxophone notes contrasting with speckled guitar noodling. It all changes into fast runs and vehement drumming, in a restless agitation that lasts eight minutes, time when Eaton spits out jumpy intervals to obtain off-the-wall responses from Kutner. The thing with this free jazz ensemble is that intensity is constantly peaking and that can become exhausting.

The musicians certainly show admirable skills, but this recording is in need of more twists to fully work, being one of those ear-puncturing blasts that are too manic to reward a close listening. “Crack Goblins” falls into cacophonous delirium, with intermittent drum attacks and strangled guitar gamboling over it. This is the type of record that would benefit from more variation in the dynamics or, if maintaining the level of verve, less duration. Still, it will probably appeal to those searching for free form, bursting energy, and pugnacious improvisation in music.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Five Years in a Concrete Egg

Chris Speed Trio - Despite Obstacles

Label: Intakt Records, 2023

Personnel - Chris Speed: tenor saxophone, clarinet; Chris Tordini: acoustic bass; Dave King: drums.

Saxophonist and clarinetist Chris Speed, a native of Seattle, has been a mainstay of the New York improvising scene for several years. Besides recording in his own name and co-leading several projects - Endangered Blood, Broken Shadows, and Pachora - he heavily contributed to the success of groups such as John Hollenbeck’s The Claudia Quintet and Jim Black’s AlasNoAxis. He joined the prestigious The Bad Plus in 2022, a modern trio turned quartet whose drummer is Dave King, a member of his sympathetic trio since 2017. Rounding out the group is the sturdy, sought-after bassist Chris Tordini.

Despite Obstacles is Speed’s third trio outing, following Platinum on Tap (2017) and Respect For Your Toughness (2019), and comprises eight original compositions where creative juices are in full swing. There’s brawn and brain in Speed’s music and the opener, “Advil”, is a great example of that. The first-class melody strolls over a temperate indie rock texture, finding the right balance between power and finesse. Whether fragmented, motivic or fluid, Speed’s sharp-edged phrases are intriguingly captivating, as well as his veiled tone on tenor.

Flowing in five, “Wrangled” is even more enigmatic as it hinges on an inventive beat with opportune displacements and resolution delays to continuously catch our attention. Also in five, “Lone Satellite” feels very improvisatory; I love those clouded low-pitched notes that Speed extracts from his horn.

A poised approach to rhythm and harmony is put on display on “Uncomfortable Truths”, a dance with something folk in it, something pop too. Analogously dancing, the title cut has Speed probing inside/outside kinetics while the rhythm section enforces meter and rhythm variations. And then, we have two trad-jazz-inflected beauties in “Sunset Park in July”, a luminous brushed ballad that I imagined sung by Billie Holiday, and the sweet-natured “Amos”, which, swinging at its own discretion, features Speed on clarinet and Tordini in a thrusting solo.
Speed’s wish to make the music feel good is accomplished, and he keeps his trio fresh and vibrant.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Advil ► 02 - Wrangled ► 07 - Lone Satellite 

Donny McCaslin - I Want More

Label: Edition Records, 2023

Personnel - Donny McCaslin: tenor saxophone; Jason Lindner: synths, wurlitzer; Tim Lefebvre: electric bass; Mark Guiliana: drums. 

Saxophonist, composer and bandleader Donny McCaslin has taken modernist directions in music that allowed him to carve out a niche of faithful devotees. His new album, I Want More, is an eclectic blowout, all tracked to blazing saxophone solos, oozy synth layers, and trance-like, sometimes even hard-hitting beats and rhythms. McCaslin’s extraordinary ensemble features keyboardist Jason Lindner, bassist Tim Lefebvre and drummer Mark Guiliana. All four had an important role in the outcome of David Bowie’s last album, Blackstar (ISO Records, 2016).

“Stria” exposes an immediate catchy sound, with delayed saxophone riffs over a weave of synth lines that, together with bass and drums, build dynamic texture. Over time, it falls into a dance-pop/rock line that sustains an outgoing saxophone solo. It all sparks epic emotions. Like the aforementioned opener, “Fly My Spaceship” has Lindner’s hand in the electronic production. This particular piece blends the diverting glitch-hop vibe of Flying Lotus and the dub incursions of Jah Wobble and The Orb.

The energetic “Turbo” and the rousing “Landsdown” are rhythmic machines; the former is redolent of Nine Inch Nails’s industrial precision; while the latter, written by McCaslin and Lefebvre, alternates krautrock-infused electronic music with gentler string passages. Strings also appear on “Big Screen”, which is propelled by this big round backbeat outlined by Guiliana.

McCaslin ranges all the way through a concoction of genres. The pop/rock accessibility of “Hold Me Tight” provides strong bass lines that guide us through the harmony, and a breathtaking tenor statement with all that jazz. Co-penned by McCaslin and Lindner, “Body Blow” is a rich stew of progressive jungle-leaning EDM, funky breaks, and anthemic punk-rock. The riffery is powerful, the pulse gains trippy effects, the sound is dark and robust, and there’s an electronica-laden section that is both playful and explosive.

Wildly original, with a defiant and confident attitude, I Want More closes with the title track - a spectacular funkified exercise with a soulful melody à-la Kamasi Washington that pushes genre boundaries as it maintains an abrasive dance mode alive but with cool tones.

McCaslin’s compact work worths its weight in artistry as well as in sound. The future of jazz? A valid current for sure, one that hits the spot thanks to its aural kaleidoscopic phenomena.

Favorite Tracks:
04 - Body Blow ► 06 - Turbo ► 08 - I Want More

Jeremy Dutton - Anyone is Better Than Here

Label: Self released, 2023

Personnel - Ben Wendel: saxophone; Ambrose Akinmusire: trumpet; Joel Ross: vibraphone; James Francies: piano; Mike Moreno: guitar; Matt Brewer: bass; Daryl Johns: bass; Jeremy Dutton: drums.

Houston-born drummer Jeremy Dutton has been cutting his teeth on the New York scene playing in several ensembles led by pianists Vijay Iyer, Gerald Clayton and James Francies, as well as vibraphonist Joel Ross. The latter two were hired for Dutton’s promising debut album, Anyone is Better Than Here, whose textured arrangements pull off interesting sonic layers with a clever touch. Over the course of 12 original compositions, Dutton shows an interest in distinctly lustrous sounds while exploring different sonic possibilities.

With a mix of soulfulness and poignancy, “Opening Credits” drifts along a sonic landscape etched with an arresting rhythmic ground. It shifts mid-way, placing Mike Moreno’s softly whispered guitar cries on top of Francies’ atmospheric piano motif. The following number, “Waves”, was written with a music-related quote by vibraphonist Stefon Harris in mind: “you have to get on the wave or you get swept over it”. Acclaimed trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire is not only in charge of the main melody here; he also delivers fast, incisive improvised phrases that trigger apt piano responses. Dutton draws extra color from the kit at the end. 

“Mirrors” is a  sophisticated ballad announced by guitar and carried on by Ross’ warm vibing and Ben Wendel’s super balanced tenor blows. The saxophonist catapults the energy of “Shores”, whose electric thrills are reinforced with a tempo in disguise and tremolo guitar waves. Yet, the piece feels somewhat embryonic. In turn, the heartfelt “Truman (reborn)”, titled after Peter Weir’s film The Truman Show, tells about the strength required to choose an unknown path. It gets to the point with just a few bare hooks.

Hitting deeper shades with chill-out elegance, “Unfolding”, sounds gloriously uncomplicated but has a lot of work done behind the lines. It ends like a folk dance after providing us with tense saxophone and oblique vibraphone statements. The rhythm section creates a dream-like bed on the kitschy “Closing Sequence”, yet not devoid of syncopation.

Not too polished, not too rugged, these elliptical, winding tunes don’t seem open-ended but have set aside space for improvisation. Dutton demands attention.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Waves ► 06 - Unfolding ► 10 - Truman

Jacob Young - Eventually

Label: ECM Records, 2023

Personnel - Jacob Young: guitar; Mats Eilertsen; acoustic bass; Audun Kleive: drums.

Jacob Young, a Norwegian guitarist with a consistently assertive melodic touch, often appears surrounded by sonic atmospheres replete with light and leisure. His fourth ECM release, Eventually, marks a special occasion as his first time working in the classic guitar-bass-drums trio format. Comprising all originals, the album features bassist Mats Eilertsen (Tord Gustavsen, Trygve Seim) and drummer Audun Kleive (Terje Rypdal, Marilyn Mazur), a longtime and recent associate, respectively. They guarantee plenty of foundational substance for Young to enjoy the freedom of being the only harmonic voice in the group. The possibilities are vast and the music, feeling like poetry in motion, doesn’t disappoint.

Majestically ventilated without being minimalistic, the title track opens the door to a bright musical narrative that, after a meditative intro, finds its way through groovy drumming, unambiguous bass expression, and a guitar chordal sequence that notates 7/4 tempo. This piece hasn't that funky feel and short thematic statement of “I Told You in October”, where a good portion of bass-and-drums groove asks for Young’s  eminent jazzistic phrasing.

Unaccompanied, the guitarist swirls peacefully on the intro of “Moon Over Meno”, announcing balladic winds with a natural and relaxed approach. This number gains some steam toward its denouement. “Schonstedtstrasse” comes with a nicely chilled rhythm that propels all the same, a bass pedal point that later disengages for harmonic definition, and deft guitar work that includes smart chords and intervals with occasional ringing tones and wah effects.

Contrasting with the gentle accents and the casual, witty observations of “The Dog Ate My Homework”, “Inside” closes out the record in smooth relaxation, including an expressive bass solo over a platform of arpeggiated guitar and understated drumming.

Putting an end to the nine-year hiatus that separates it from Forever Young (ECM, 2014) - which paired the guitarist with saxophonist Trygve Seim and the trio of Polish pianist Marcin Walisewski - Eventually reveals an off-the-chart degree of musicianship. All three musicians are very conscious of their spaces within the trio, allowing every musical idea to effortlessly breathe.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - I Told You in October ► 03 - Moon Over Meno ► 05 - Schonstedtstrasse

Josh Lawrence - And That Too

Label: Posi-Tone Records, 2023

Personnel - Josh Lawrence: trumpet; Willie Morris III: tenor saxophone; Art Hirahara: piano; Boris Kozlov: bass; Jason Tiemann: drums (#1,2,6); Rudy Royston: drums (#3,4,5,7,8).

Trumpeter and composer Josh Lawrence has been giving us many reasons to smile with albums like Color Theory (Posi-Tone, 2017) and Contrast (Posi-Tone, 2018). Last year, he released Call Time with a quintet featuring the up-and-coming saxophonist Willie Morris and the rhythm section of pianist Art Hirahara, bassist Boris Kozlov and drummer Jason Tiemann. His fifth album, And That Too, features this same quintet with drummer Rudy Royston replacing Tiemann on five of the eight cuts.

With tradition at the very center, each tune is infused with smart playing and expressive qualities. The opening cut, “Grit”, is one of those burning post-bop explosions that builds tremendously, steamed with expert improvisations. This Freddie Hubbard-esque piece was penned by Morris, who completely steals the show with a clever, tonally fluid and narratively engaging solo that stuns from start to finish. He is preceded by Lawrence, whose clear language can be as fast as an arrow travels, and followed by Hirahara, an adept of versatility and firm touch. Morris brings a second composition into the song lineup - the hard-swinging, short-themed “Hole in the Wall” begins with tenor over bass and drums, and is later harmonically contextualized by sparse piano moves turned rhythmic counterstatements.

With Kozlov and Royston in the pocket, “Cosmological Constant” offers hard-bop cheerfulness shaken by doubling tempos for a different feel. Alternatively, “North Winds” is a mid-tempo piece with insightful drum fills by Royston during the improvisations, whereas “Black Keys” is a blues played with decorum and range. 

The compelling strength of Lawrence’s soaring lines can be amply appreciated on his soulful ballad “Left Hanging”, and his compositional capabilities confirmed on “Cantus Firmus”, a groovy number in five, all at once redolent of Woody Shaw and Lee Morgan. Its rhythmic acuity invites the trumpeter and Morris to take improvisational turns before Royston substantiates his drum chops during the final section.

Lawrence and his supple quintet still find the time to plunge into the exquisite chord progression of Wayne Shorter’s “Nefertiti” and tackle it with delicate and thoughtful sensibility. This is an undeniably virtuosic recording that, bringing back the taste of classic jazz, finds Lawrence at the apex of his career.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Grit ► 04 - North Winds ► 08 - Cantus Firmus

Erik Friedlander - She Sees

Label: Skipstone Records, 2023

Personnel - Erik Friedlander: cello; Ava Mendoza: electric guitar; Stomu Takeishi: electric bass; Diego Espinosa: percussion.

She Sees, the second studio album by American cellist Erik Friedlander’s Sentinel - originally a trio and now a quartet - clearly leans on muscular rock while moving in mysterious ways. Driven by genre-fusing ardor, the group welcomes Japanese bassist Stomu Takeishi - he collaborated with Friedlander on fantastic albums such as Topaz (1999), Quake (2003), Prowl (2006) and Ring (2016) - who joins the core trio completed by Brooklyn-based avant guitarist Ava Mendoza and Mexican percussionist Diego Espinosa.

“Baskets, Biscuits, Rain” follows a typical anthemic rock song format but suggests a propulsive swinging feel through the dynamic bass. The quartet gets lean on “Wit & Whimsy”, which sounds like classic arena-rock, and sinewy on “Heatwave”, a fusion piece with excellent command of tempo and tone, and enlivened by an inner/outer travelogue delivered by Friedlander. The cellist, who recently underwent Deep Brain Stimulation to fight Parkinson’s disease, appears here as fit as a flea. 

“Tremor, Blink” is funk-rock rapture. Cello and guitar are seen partially in tandem to create a sort of contrapuntal effect, whereas “Sliding” focuses on a gutbucket jazz n’ bluesy style redolent of Tom Waits. In turn, “Summit” explores the pop genre with cello pizzicato and a reverb-drenched guitar solo with distorted contrails. Mendoza is also impressive on “Ache, Air”, championing a jangling funky rhythm contraction with punk-rock attitude. 

If the engrossing “Rush. Rush Slowly” is treated with ethnic intrusions and Eastern tangents, then “Soak! Soak!” and the closer, “Moneycake: Corrupting”, are pinned with stylish riffs. The former develops with a three-time feel, while the latter gets under way in seven, changing meter signatures en route. 

Adding warped sounds to its rock-steeped temperament, this new Sentinel disc falls well behind the group’s debut album (2020), but deserves some support for its bold sounds and explorative intrepidity.

Favorite Tracks:
06 - Ache, Air ► 07 - Sliding ► 10 - Moneycake: Corrupting

Sylvie Courvoisier & Cory Smythe - The Rite of Spring / Spectre d'un Songe

Label: Pyroclastic Records, 2023

Personnel - Sylvie Courvoisier: piano; Cory Smythe: piano.

This collaboration between Sylvie Courvoisier and Cory Smythe - two visionary pianists and improvisers - is a true knockout. A voyage of discovery that groups the challenging classical masterwork of Igor Stravinsky, The Rite of Spring (it was composed in 1913, based on Pagan myths), and Courvoisier’s lavish contemporary response to that work, titled Spectre D’un Songe. Brilliantly articulated, the immaculate four-hand pianism results in a vertiginous music that embraces bitonality with high-quality reinvention. 

Stravinsky’s movements split into two spectacular parts - “The Adoration of the Earth” and “The Sacrifice” - the last of which being more restrained in tone but pivoting into a vigorous if cinematic interplay that is simultaneously precise and adventurous in its locomotions. The volatile first part departs from an initial motif to plunge into pedal-like grooves that sound like speedy trains, while other times it visually emulates a feather spinning in the air under a spring breeze. With each section conveying passion and mystery, this is a pleasantly surprising work that illustrates the full range and capabilities of Courvoisier and Smythe’s technique at the keyboard.

Clocking in at nearly half-an-hour, “Spectre d’un Songe” flows within an eerie atmosphere. Arpeggiated maneuvers create paradoxes of different magnitudes; patterned cascades of sound (including prepared piano) allow polyrhythmic probings engraved by sudden low-pitched strokes that wake us up from a hypnotic state of reverie; and profuse harmonic cycles invite free improvisation as well as rich timbres and undaunted intervals to linger on.

Both pianists know their roles in this progressive, symphonic opus, blending their elements to perfection. This is a deeply musical experience and a must-have album for both avant-garde and contemporary classical devotees.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - The Rite of Spring Part I: The Adoration of the Earth ► 03 - Spectre D’un Songe

Linda May Han Oh - The Glass Hours

Label: Biophilia Records, 2023

Personnel - Sara Serpa: voice; Mark Turner: tenor saxophone; Fabian Almazan: piano, electronics; Linda May Han Oh: acoustic and electric bass, voice; Obed Calvaire: drums.

Linda May Han Oh, a bassist and composer of enormous talent, approaches bandleading with fresh and distinctive vision. Backed by a new quintet that works really great, Oh delivers a set of pieces informed by abstract themes of the fragility of time and life, paradoxes and choices, and social issues in our world. The Glass Hours has that adventurous quality often found in her discography, creating a compound of collective exploration and deft improvisation.

The sinuous, complex melody of “Circles” is earnestly declared, side by side, by Portuguese singer Sara Serpa, whose technique is impressive, and saxophonist Mark Turner. The sounds spread within the organized structure, and we have pianist Fabian Almazan and Turner taking improvisational turns before a fearless double bass solo unfolds.

Introduced rubato by bass and piano before sliding into a 7/4 meter, “Antiquity” is a piece with lyrics centered on the weight of the past, whereas “Chimera”, taking the form of a sensual dance, mutates along the way. A swift rhythmic figure takes center stage, creating a motivically induced substratum later embellished with tasteful electronics.

Often abstract, these avant-leanings occasionally invite us to new territory, like “Phosphorous”, which is rendered with a relentless prog-rock rhythm bed. Drummer Obed Calvaire, who worked with Oh on her debut album, Entry (CD Baby, 2009), locks in with the bassist for the sake of a funk-inspired accentuation, supporting ethereal wordless vocals and saxophone cross-cuts. There’s also a more rugged than sweet keyboard solo here.

The composer delves deeply into this musical universe of linear and cyclical forms. With warfare as a topic, “Jus ad Bellum” flows rubato, later probing polyrhythmic patterns with ritualistic precision. More celebratory is the title cut, which has challenging metered cycles rising and waning periodically; Serpa is on the leading edge here, and Turner and Almazan take improvisational turns. Thematically contrary, “The Other Side” is a meditation on the afterlife, employing a push-pull strategy with well-placed staccatos that ground us in the present.

Impeccably layered with boundless energy, The Glass Hours is a mature work that positions Oh in the vanguard of progressive musical creativity.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Circles ► 02 - Antiquity ► 09 - The Other Side

Illegal Crowns - Unclosing

Label: Out of Your Head Records, 2023

Personnel - Taylor Ho Bynum: trumpet, cornet; Mary Halvorson: guitar; Benoit Delbecq: piano; Tomas Fujiwara: drums.

The bass-less quartet Illegal Crowns, a spectacular avant-jazz outfit composed of leaders and improvisers, releases its third album after a five-city tour. On this set, they continue twisting sonic screws at different spots, sometimes reaching pleasantly warped thresholds within the hive of quirky sounds and textures produced. There are nine tonally elusive cuts on the album composed by guitarist Mary Halvorson, pianist Benoit Delbecq and drummer Tomas Fujiwara - each contributes three pieces. Rounding out the group is trumpeter/cornetist Taylor Ho Bynum, who shines throughout.

Fujiwara’s “Crooked Frame” opens the proceedings with odd meter, uncorking unison lines delineated by cornet and piano. They are later joined by detailed contrapuntal guitar. A shift in texture welcomes Halvorson for a vertiginous solo, whose otherworldly aura seems extracted from a sci-fi episode. The following statements from trumpet and piano are equally enthralling.

Halvorson’s “Unclosing” has a slow awakening with prepared piano, arpeggiated guitar, and tinkling percussion. This smooth surface is meditatively intriguing, opening up harmonically without losing composure. Another Halvorson tune that catches the ear is “Osmosis Crown”, processed with piano-guitar polyphony, a relentlessly throttling rhythm, and staggering chords that shift and resolve conveniently. Here, the guitarist comes up with a pressurized solo immersed in aqueous effects.

A sense of individual voice and collective strength appears throughout the band, and Delbecq’s tunes reflect exactly that. “Triple Fever” is highly responsive and motivic, featuring the pianist and Fujiwara in intense activity; “Freud and Jung Go Cycling” has a humorous cool side beyond its title, displaying a gong-evocative piano rhythm, apt percussion, and intercalated improvisations that oppose Halvorson’s brisk phrasing to Ho Bynum’s long distinct whines. There’s also “Les Mots Et Les Choses”, filled with spectacular cornet playing, a guitar flight with two-pitches in tandem, and punctilious three-way parallel lines.

I couldn’t finish this review without mentioning the noteworthy “G Ocean”, which came out of the pen of Fujiwara. Comfortably behind the kit and working under a slow triple tempo, he patterns it with conspicuous fills and methodical marching snare. At the top, Halvorson and Delbecq superimpose different tempos.

These four passionate improvisers form a rich sonic identity. Don’t let the numerous delicacies fool you into thinking that this is something you’ve heard before.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Crooked Frame ► 03 - Triple Fever ► 07 - G Ocean

Henry Threadgill Ensemble - The Other One

Label: Pi Recordings, 2023

Personnel - Henry Threadgill: composer, conductor; Alfredo Colón: alto sax; Noah Becker: alto sax, clarinet; Peyton Pleninger: tenor sax; Sara Schoenbeck: bassoon; Adam Cordero: bassoon; Jose Davila: tuba; David Virelles: piano; Craig Weinrib: percussion, electronics; Sara Caswell: violin; Stephanie Griffin: viola; Mariel Roberts: cello; Christopher Hoffman: cello.

The compositional brilliance and unique musical character of saxophonist Henry Threadgill are on full display in his latest album, The Other One, a three-movement composition inspired by the work of the late creative drummer Milford Graves and executed by a 12-piece ensemble of reliable musicians. With Threadgill conducting, the group jaunts through 19 tracks devised with complex notated music, often with intervallic and timbral obstinacy, but with room for improvisation.

“Mvt I, sections 1-2” is put in motion by Virelles’ solo piano playing, informed by a self-confident if inquisitive expression that balances the tender and the riotous. This is followed by “Mvt I, section 3”, where the strings have no competitors. Yet, the first track that really grabs us by the throat is “Mvt I, sections 6A-7A”, where the introductory piano gives way to a ruminative saxophone soliloquy that, a minute after, is supported by a tightly woven tapestry. And how that tuba throbs along!

As expected, there’s enough angularity in the phrases to make us travel unexplored places. After an interlude where the drummer Craig Winrib claims the spotlight, we have the joyful collective greeting of “Mvt I, Finale”, delivered with that odd bounce for which the composer is known. The bassoon solo stands out here among the individual statements.

“Movement II” is a 16-minute fresco tinted with modern classical and chamber techniques of rare melodic quality. A saxophone solo stirs conspicuous energy, instigating the other band members to swarm in their buzzing activity. But there are also quiet moments of abstraction that potentiate the communication with the string players. The piece then propagates into a disciplined cacophony that ends up in a swirl of motifs.

Two sections stick out from the third movement, which I consider the strongest. They are “Mvt III, section 12-12B”, a gripping episode where an authoritative alto sax interacts with violin in the denouement, and “Mvt III, section 14”, which, denoting further swinging flexibility during a saxophone solo that feels simultaneously fiery and lyrical, still sticks to that march-like gait infused with staccatos and stop-start motions.

Threadgill is found in whip-cracking form as a composer. This is an imaginative musical achievement executed by talented musicians who don’t vacillate when in command of their instruments.

Favorite Tracks:
05 - Mvt I, sections 6A-7A ► 12 - Mtv III, sections 12-12B ► 15 - Mvt III, section 14

Brandon Seabrook's Epic Proportions - brutalovechamp

Label: Pyroclastic Records, 2023

Personnel - Brandon Seabrook: guitar, mandolin, banjo; John McCowen: contrabass clarinet, Bb clarinet, alto and bass recorder; Marika Hughes: cello; Henry Fraser: contrabass; Eivind Opsvick: contrabass; Chuck Bettis: electronics, voice; Nava Dunkelman: percussion, glockenspiel, voice; Sam Ospovat: drum set, gongs, vibraphone, chimes.

Untamable guitarist Brandon Seabrook takes a new direction as, according to his own words, he tries to slow things down and open things up. Known for the inventiveness and tension put into his playing, the guitarist delivers eight new striking compositions that, together, and within their spirit of freedom, form an unconventionally gripping post-modern opus.

With sterling contributions from seven talented musicians, Seabrook starts this journey with a savory mix of eclectic influences and strong contemporary affiliation. “brutalovechamp” opens with recorder and mandolin, having contrapuntal cello movements joining the classical-themed festivity. The atmosphere is initially pressurized by a prog-rock attitude, but then an exciting funk imposes, carved out by motivic guitar incisions. Drummer Sam Ospovat enjoys some time unaccompanied before an odd-metered vamp materializes with aboriginal-like sounds mixed with alt-rock and classical elements.

“I Wanna Be Chlorophylled” is split into two parts. The first, “Corpus Conductor”, incorporates an intricate guitar-laden texture (not devoid of Hendrixian maverick quality) and eerily cinematic bowed bass infusions by Henry Fraser. The octet returns to the point of departure prior to falling into a languid rock progression that encourages a winding guitar solo. The second part, “Thermal Rinse” is slow, taciturn and introspective in its cello+bass inception. Seabrook infuses it with fast guitar crotchet in the final stage, and there are these chiming legato notes creating a droning effect.

Whereas “The Perils of Saint-Betterment” places crisp mandolin strumming at the center of its fluid motion, and opens space for the venturesome contrabass clarinet of John McCowen, “Gutbucket Asylum” reaches a climactic peak with dissonance, frenzied vocals by Nava Dunkelman, speedy guitar picking, and driving percussion.

Notched by bowed banjo, “Libidinal Bouquets” would have given a perfect score for one of Guy Maddin’s weird odysseys on film, while “Compassion Montage” is characterized by operatic vocals from Dunkelman and Chuck Bettis.

brutalovechamp radiates energy with rippling intensity, being Seabrook’s affirmation as a skilled composer. This is a work of focused commitment and ambition.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - brutalovechamp ► 02 - I Wanna Be Chlorophylled I: Corpus Conductor ► 06 - Gutbucket Asylum

Michael Blake - Dance of the Mystic Bliss

Label: P&M Records, 2023

Personnel - Michael Blake: tenor and soprano saxophones, flute; Guilherme Monteiro: electric guitar; Skye Steele: violin; Christopher Hoffman: cello; Michael Bates: acoustic bass; Mauro Refosco: percussion; Rogerio Boccato: percussion.

Michael Blake has always deviated from typical jazz formulas in a career that, as a leader, started with Kingdom of Champa (Intuition Records, 1997), and evolved in groups such as Blake Tartare, The Herbie Nichols Project and The Lounge Lizards. His newest outing, Dance of the Mystic Bliss, is dedicated to his late mother, Merle Blake, a dancer, singer, gardener, and cat lover. Here, making the most of the rhythmic talents of his new Chroma Nova group, which combines bilateral percussion and four stringed instruments, he brings Brazilian folk influences into 10 originals.

“Merle the Pearl”, a joyful dance where an Afro-Latin pulse meets soulful post-bop, is marked by a 14-beat-cycle guitar motif on top of which violinist Skye Steele engraves his pizzicato work. Blake’s fully articulated tenor solo is enlightening. His erudite language is equally compelling when he switches to soprano on “Le Coeur du Jardin”, a piece that, featuring cellist Christopher Hoffman, conveys relaxing vibes, a charming rhythm, and a circular harmonic progression. 

New musical partners allowed Blake to revamp his sound and explore different territories. “Little Demons”, for example, denotes an invigorating percussive trait that follows a meter signature with seven beats per measure. Brazilian percussionists Mauro Refosco and Rogerio Boccato provide that warm tropical feeling, while Blake’s tenor fascination comes to the fore. Another Brazilian, the guitarist Guilherme Monteiro, enjoys a change of tempo, applying distortion and discernment to speak a mix of jazz, rock and blues idioms.

If “Topanga Burns” comes infused with a warm tango-ish impression that morphs into spiritual clamor during the eloquent soprano solo, then “Prune Pluck Pangloss” embraces catchy Middle Eastern-flavored notes. On this one, burnished tenor lines cross the harmonic pavement traced by Monteiro before dramatic strings and flute meet up on a vamping triple-metered section.

“Weeds” incorporates propulsive and reflective moments alike, making an impression with the layered arrangement and that terrific passage that takes us from the bass to the tenor improvisation. The album is completed with the achingly lyrical “Cleopatra”, featuring Blake on clarinet in complete communion with Steele and Hoffman. 

The group is as tight as it gets, with interesting rhythm-oriented foundations and with Blake showing strong melodicism and refined taste all around.

Favorite Tracks:
03 - Little Demons ► 05 - Topanga Burns ► 09 - Weeds

François Houle Genera Sextet - In Memoriam

Label: Clean Feed, 2023

Personnel - François Houle: clarinet; Marco von Orelli: cornet, trumpet; Samuel Blaser: trombone; Benoit Delbecq: piano; Michael Bates: bass; Harris Eisenstadt: drums.

Canadian clarinetist François Houle, whose keen arrangements and musical execution can be seen in every nook and cranny of his discography, is joined by a solid combo recommended by the late Ken Pickering. In Memorian pays tribute to the latter, who was a mentor, a friend, and the artistic director of the Vancouver Jazz Festival for 32 years, a fact that binds even more these musicians together. Houle’s Genera Sextet made its debut in 2012, and appears here with one single alteration: Swiss trumpeter and cornetist Marco von Orelli replaces Taylor Ho Bynum. 

An introductory short piece called “Stand By” opens up the curtain, almost in a thoughtful symphonic way and with an epic sentiment of confidence that runs between the lines. It leads to “Requiem for KP”, the only track that, passing the 10-minute mark, rolls out with staccato actions that deliberately interfere with the rhythmic flux, and quiet moments with assorted circular motifs on the move. Bassist Michael Bates delivers a pensive solo over the irregular if scintillating drum flow of Harris Eisenstadt. Then, the pianist Benoit Delbecq goes for a swinging walk with the horn section of Houle, Orelli and trombonist Samuel Blaser filling spaces in unison. The latter dishes out an improvisation laced with exclamations, and the bandleader concludes the improvisations with strong articulation and unpredictability. By the end, the sympathetic happy swing that had been put up for the solos winds back to the mournful tones of the first stage.

“Ekphrasis” emphasizes the collective work with repetition of every 20-beat cycle, whereas “Gish Gallop” develops with a contemplative feel, exposing amiable tones and often masking the tempo with meticulous harmonic accentuations. Distinct from any other tune, “Scarlet” lives in a kind of Afro-Latin exuberance masterfully created by Delbecq’s prepared piano. Eisenstadt’s colorful drumming and Bate’s dancing bass groove in seven reinforce this effect.

The group presses forward on “This Tune…”, opting for a certain angularity in the melody without feeling too off. Houle’s loose clarinetism is sometimes joined by the rest of the pack for a phrase conclusion. Yet, “Deep River” is more prone to mood and rhythmic shifts, efficiently melding avant-garde jazz, rock, and post-bop elements.

In Memoriam is a requiem that doesn't necessarily sound doleful. For the sake of the music, there's also celebration, nostalgia, love, joy, and gratitude packed into the same bag.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Requiem for KP ► 04 - This Tune… ► 06 - Scarlet

Michael Formanek Elusion Quartet - As Things Do

Label: Intakt Records, 2023

Personnel - Tony Malaby: tenor and soprano saxophone; Kris Davis: piano; Michael Formanek: bass; Ches Smith: drums, vibes.

As Things Do, the sophomore album of the Elusion Quartet underscores the reputation as a masterful creative bassist and visionary composer of its leader, Michael Formanek. His group is made of excellent improvisers and bandleaders - saxophonist Tony Malaby, pianist Kris Davis and drummer Ches Smith - who commit to Formanek’s ideas across the music with optimal acuity. 

The quartet’s openness to new genres is felt right from the start. “Bury the Lede” falls somewhere between a melodic doom-metal trait and an enlightened alternative rock song. Malaby begins his show with beseeching tenor growls over a tense piano-bass pedal. His dark pitches ascend for a grand improvisation that is also wide in range and emotionally strong. He expertly sequences his brainstorms into climaxes. With Davis giving it the right rich dimension while Formanek and Smith hold the foundation like impenetrable rocks, this first track pushes you with a strange force. You want to hear more at this point.

Contrasting with the outgoing postures of numbers such as “I Don’t Think So” - a playful piece with staccatos in the melody, lively snare activity, bowed bass, and exquisite piano chords and textures - and “Rockaway Beach”, whose hooky thematic melody looks good on top of this centered and propulsive funk-rock underpinning - we find numbers that explore ambiguity with a certain degree of comfort. They are “Rewind”, an elegant workout with dynamic tempos and swinging sections that blend the softness of Kenny Wheeler and the angularity of Herbie Nichols; “Entropy”, which is introduced by bass and drums before a 10-beat cycle phrase stipulates the groove; and “Gone Home”, an enchanting 3/4 ballad that peacefully concludes the recording with pleasant-sounding tones.

There’s also “In Turn”, which belongs to a different class and starts in improvisational mode. Whereas Smith remains on vibraphone for a while, Malaby pushes through a rise via occasional multiphonic fire and resonating pitches. The theme statement surfaces at the end. 

Formanek’s recordings have been consistently successful, but this one is special. Everyone with a thirst for discovery in music should listen to this work.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Bury the Lede ► 03 - In Turn ► 04 - Rockaway Beach