Marcelo dos Reis - Flora

Label: JACC Records, 2023

Personnel - Marcelo dos Reis: guitarra; Miguel Falcão: bass; Luis Filipe Silva: drums.

Portuguese guitarist Marcelo dos Reis leads a trio featuring Miguel Falcão on bass Luis Filipe Silva on drums. His improvisatory prowess shines in Flora, a collection of six original pieces that acts as a gateway to rich musical realms not necessarily tied to jazz.

The trio displays a progressive attitude in “Big Tree”, where a guitar figure with angular dimension and rhythmic purpose sets the tone for a palpable, enlightened, and harmonically stabilized art-rock flux with folk melodic trajectories. The music is far from static, with a frantically swinging underpin initiated through an exalted bass spirit and agitated drumming. The rock influence persists but unfolds with vast moods, textures, and influences capable of surprising the listener.

“Amanita” delves into experimental ambient territory with airy substance and a drone in the background. Midway, it pivots on a parallel execution between guitar and bass, leading to a resolution of the accumulated tension. The piece segues into “Tampanensis”, whose vigorous bass lines and daredevil guitar warps infuse a New Wave/post-punk tinge that find support in Silva’s danceable krautrock rhythm.

The group fearlessly explores dynamics, and “Cornelia” ventures into darker grounds painted with luscious Eastern colors. It’s as if Joy Division and Mahavishnu Orchestra fused to create spasmodic alternate gushes of sound. The trio cuts loose on “Sky Blue Petunia”, a forward-moving exercise orchestrated with audacity, where the psychedelic dance-rock of The B52’s meets the defiant and irreverent swinging jazz of The Lounge Lizards. 

The album comes to a close with “Full Sun”, structured with an 11-beat cycle, propelled with drive and unity, and sending out jazzy and bluesy vibes. There’s a shift in texture and tempo for a robust and dense funk-rock-infused finale. Flora contains well-played evocative music that demands attention without being flashy, confirming dos Reis as a gifted guitarist to watch in the future.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Big Tree ► 02 - Amanita ► 04 - Cornelia

Anthony Pirog - Nepenthe Series Vol. 1

Label: Otherly Love Records, 2023

Personnel - Anthony Pirog: guitar, guitar synth; Nels Cline: guitar; John Frusciante: monomachine; Luke Stewart: electric bass; Andy Summers: guitar; Janel Leppin: pedal steel guitar; Brandon Ross: guitar; Wendy Eisenberg: guitar; Ryan Ferreira: guitar.

Washington D.C.-based guitarist and composer Anthony Pirog, known for his work with the post-punk trio The Messthetics, showcases his broad stylistic vision, taste for experimentation, and interest in sound and texture on his latest recording, Nepenthe Series Vol. 1. Pirog, who bridges guitar and electronics with aural surrealism and imagination, invited collaborators to send him original ambient tracks, which he then recorded on top of, resulting in a remarkable blend of ethereal and sinister soundscapes. 

For the opener, “Ripples of Light”, he welcomed the excellent guitarist Nels Cline, with whom he layers floating, sustained chords in order to describe a wintry picturesque stillness that makes us speechless. Mysterious and slightly ominous tones suddenly emerge in the last quarter, but they feel more awe-striking than austere, enhancing the overall ambiguity and droning details. 

“Aurora”, featuring Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante on Elektron Monomachine, arrives with buzzing drones and dial frequencies chattering in the background. They duo carries mysterious found-sounds for a little too long, evoking a distant planet with labyrinthine alleys and corners worth to discover. “Dense Blazing Star”, created with bassist Luke Stewart, incorporates electronic dance music influences, while “Bernal Heights”, a layered solo effort by Pirog, combines a bit of the Pet Shop Boys’ melodic expertise with the dark burbling and clouding obscurity in the music of Bill Laswell and Wadada Leo Smith.

With The Police’s ex-guitarist Andy Summers on board, “Inflorescence” exposes a brilliant two-guitar work reminiscent of Robert Fripp and The King Crimson’s art-rock with hints of goth and glam rock. The melody is wonderful and the texture perceptible for a compelling song format. 

The song titles aptly capture the music's essence, and if we have Arvo Part’s dark choral ambiances mixed with Steve Reich’s minimalism on “Glowing Gestures”, which features Pirog’s wife Janel Leppin on pedal steel guitar, then we can enjoy two different guitar-driven atmospheres on “Night Winds” and “The Eternal River”. The former, featuring Wendy Eisenberg, is heavier and denser due to distortion and noise; the latter, with Tim Berne’s Snake Oil’s guitarist Ryan Ferreira, immerses listeners in emotion-laden surroundings, closing the album on an ethereal note.

With a dazzling array of layers and effects, Pirog's work on Nepenthe Series Vol. 1 is a testament to his artistry and extraordinary sound judgment.

Favorite Tracks: 
01 - Ripples of Light ► 02 - Aurora ► 04 - Inflorescence

Geri Allen and Kurt Rosenwinkel - A Lovesome Thing

Label: Heartcore Records / Motéma, 2023

Personnel - Geri Allen: piano; Kurt Rosenwinkel: guitar.

Two master musicians, the late great pianist Geri Allen and the vibrant guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel, showcase a free-spirited melodic vocabulary and profound harmonic insight on this live recording captured in Paris in 2012. A Lovesome Thing: Live at the Philharmonie de Paris is made of five pieces of music: three standards and two original compositions, one by each musician.

They emanate a natural and relaxed aura that permeates the music, leaving it imprinted with their distinctive musical signatures and tremendous improvisational capabilities. Right from the beginning, they captivate listeners by embracing a beautiful rubato playing style that gives shape to Billy Strayhorn’s splendid ballad, "A Flower is a Lonesome Thing”. Another widely known ballad follows: "Embraceable You”, but this one, by the pen of George Gershwin, didn't have a strong impact on me in spite of Herbie Hancock’s deft arrangement.

What truly amazed was the captivating rendition of Thelonious Monk’s “Ruby My Dear” whose incomparable beauty is enhanced here by a flawless integration of strings and keys. Rosenwinkel’s delightfully enigmatic introduction blends single-note phrasing and sophisticated harmony to create a colorful, contemporary tapestry. Even more impressive are the original compositions, standing out as the highlights of this duo session. Rosenwinkel’s "Simple #2" centers on a robust bluesy stride in three, offering multiple facets to be enjoyed. This composition, first featured on the guitarist’s 2020 trio album Angels Around, retains its urgency and is elegantly expressed with an outstanding sense of resolution. 

In turn, Allen’s previously unrecorded piece, “Open Handed Reach”, imparts a sense of openness as it unfolds with a light waltzing step. It presents a harmonically rich experience elevated by the pianist’s brilliancy. Geri Allen and Kurt Rosenwinkel lay bare abundant musical fertility, revealing instinctive chemistry. They are both supportive in their accompaniments, courageous in their statements, and intelligent in their interplay.

Favorite Tracks:
04 - Simple #2 ► 05 - Ruby My Dear ► 07 - Open Handed Reach

Rintaro Mikami - First Fish

Label: Self released, 2023

Personnel - Rintaro Mikami: drums, voice, poetry; David Truilo: tenor sax; Henry Plotnick: piano; Omri Bar Giora: guitar; Bar Filipowicz: bass + Guests - Lily Resnikoff: voice (#3); Ariel Bart: harmonica (#9).

Tokyo-born, New York-based drummer Rintaro Mikami makes a positive impact with his debut album as a leader, First Fish. The record features nine original compositions inspired by Mikami’s life on the small Southern Japanese island of Kuchinoerabu and the travels between that place, Tokyo, and New York. Mikami's core quintet shares an intimate connection that reflects on the tunes, and his sensitive drumming style showcases a penchant for playing melodically on the kit that is reminiscent of Brian Blade and Manu Katché.

The technical quality and emotional depth of his drumming seduce on the silky “Arrival”, a liberating and poetic piece with an inviting chord progression and delicate melody. The comforting brushwork is joined by spoken word here, contrasting with the expansiveness and irreverence of “Derailing”, which deals with an exhilarating hard-swinging locomotion while displaying alternate improvisations between guitarist Omri Bar Giora, pianist Henry Plotnick, and saxophonist David Truilo. They end up juxtaposing lines, leaning on the avant-garde side before returning to the theme with certitude. If this piece represents the trip from Tokyo to the island, then the mercurial “Secession”, marked by tempo shifts, represents the change from Tokyo to New York, incorporating guitar sounds with a taste of fusion, and purposeful saxophone phrases. 

“The Whistle” conjures a folk dance in 5/4 time, propelled by bassist Bar Filipowicz. There’s more exchanges between guitar and piano, and a final vamp where pronounced snare activity is progressively expanded to other parts of the drum set. The title track, “First Fish”, begins as a ballad with Lily Resnikoff’s voice adding a positive fragility. However, its waltzing steps are placed firmly in the middle part as an invitation to the improvisers. Another notable track featuring a guest is “Deer’s Dream”, where Ariel Bart’s harmonica contribute poignancy and hope. 

“Interlaken” seamlessly integrates tradition and modernity, shifting unexpectedly from a three-time pulse to a wild 4/4 incursion. Meanwhile, “The Sky He Saw” is a contemplative ballad filled with passion. Mikami’s debut album showcases his emerging voice in jazz, offering ravishing music that captivates and leaves listeners eager to see where he goes next.

Favorite Tracks: 
01 - Arrival ► 04 - Derailing ► 08 - Secession

Myra Melford's Fire and Water Quintet - Hear the Light Singing

Label: RogueArt, 2023

Personnel - Myra Melford: piano; Ingrid Laubrock: tenor and soprano saxophone; Mary Halvorson: guitar; Tomeka Reid: cello; Lesley Mok: drums.

Pianist and composer Myra Milford, a longtime standard-bearer for the avant-garde and new-jazz movements, reunites her synergistic all-female quintet Fire and Water for their second outing. Connecting improvised and through-composed movements, these five new ‘insertions’, written to highlight the musicians’ qualities, subvert expectations as the group members stretch their instruments from familiar environments without feeling too experimental. The ensemble, featuring saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock, cellist Tomeka Reid, and guitarist Mary Halvorson, welcomes Brooklyn-based drummer Lesley Mok, who replaces Susie Ibarra on the kit.

"Insertion One" launches the album with assertiveness and expansiveness, featuring intricate piano work with contrapuntal glides and striking ostinatos. Boasting a strong and sinuous lead melody, the piece has the group speak to their open-mindedness, mirrored in effusive solos by Laubrock, who emphasizes the rhythmic temperament of her phrases, and Halvorson, who, as usual, creates quirky guitar moods with the help of peculiar effects. 

Melford’s penchant for complex meter signatures is evident in “Insertion Four” and “Insertion Five”. The former, beautifully layered by Halvorson at the outset, unfolds sluggishly with a pulsating arpeggiated piano cadence in 7/4 time, while the latter delves into a joyous, to-the-point rhythm in nine, creating a wince of powerful emotion. If, for some reason, these wonderfully sinuous melodies don’t claim your attention, the outstanding rhythms will.

Carrying a balladic intonation, “Insertion Two” has prayerful cello considerations over smooth piano accompaniment, a cyclic progression in five by Halvorson, who also delivers a whimsically atonal solo, and a tenor saxophone improvisation. "Insertion Three A+B" is a more liberal and expansive 18-and-a-half-minute journey, initially marked by noise rock and avant-garde abstraction. Working together, Melford and Laubrock ramble in improvised spirals, later joined by Halvorson’s queasy guitar overdrive. Then, it’s Mok who booms and throbs unaccompanied, building up phrases with timbral sophistication. The next movement is rendered with gorgeous staccato guitar articulation before the reappearance of thematic unisons.

Still inspired by American painter Cy Twombly's drawings, the composed material feels like a conjuring of spontaneous collective spirit. The supple musicians understand the strength and place of their sounds within the whole, creating an album that, much like their debut, is highly recommended for its delightful specifics to be discovered with each listen.

Favorite Tracks: 
01 - Insertion One ► 04 - Insertion Four ► 05 - Insertion Five

Jaimie Branch - Fly or Die Fly or Die Fly or Die (world war)

Label: International Anthem Records, 2023

Personnel - Jaimie Branch: trumpet, voice, keyboard, percussion; Lester St. Louis: cello, voice, flute, marimba, keyboard; Jason Ajemian: acoustic and electric bass, voice, marimba; Chad Taylor: drums, mbira, timpani, bells, marimba. Guests - Nick Broste: trombone (#5,6); Rob Frye: flute (#5), bass clarinet (#5,6,7); Akenya Seymour: voice (#5); Kuma Dog: voice (#5); Daniel Villarreal: conga, percussion (#2,5,6,7).

The late trumpeter and composer Jaimie Branch, a dynamic force of nature, left an indelible mark on contemporary jazz with her beautiful and innovative work. This posthumous album, recorded with her renowned quartet Fly or Die, was in the final stages of production just one month before her passing. The music, captured during a residency at the Bemis Center for the Contemporary Arts in Omaha, Nebraska, comprises eight tracks, many of which explore extended forms and modulations. 

The album opens with the anthemic melody of "Aurora Rising”, seamlessly blending keyboards, timpani, and high-pitched trumpet notes. It segues into the rhythmic celebratory procession that is “Borealis Dancing”. Branch pushes and pulls throughout the firm tides, followed by cellist Lester St. Louis, whose soaring lines top off the arrangement. The abrasive backbeat of drummer Chad Taylor, a standout behind the kit, is the tune’s ballast. His pulsatory killing rhythm is also key on the upbeat “Take Over the World”, a concoction of African-tinged hooks, punk rock, and electronic rave. It all burns with hard-hitting energy.

Branch's artistry extends beyond composing and playing - she infuses a sense of fun into her work, exploring expanded approaches. This is evident in her use of vocals and lyrics on "Burning Grey”, where a punk flavor meets avant-garde proficiency, maintaining a persistent rhythm and groove throughout.

The jubilant “Baba Louie” takes on a rollicking African-tinged vibe under the aegis of Taylor’s mbira and Daniel Villarreal’s percussive articulation. There’s a change of pace halfway, which helps modulate to a more psychedelic passage with additional vocals and hazy effects. The quartet is further augmented on this occasion by special guests, adding trombone and flute to the mix. There’s still space for Meat Puppet’s country song “Comin’ Down”, here re-titled “The Mountain”, and featuring bassist Jason Ajemian as the sole accompanist. He joins Branch on vocals.

Jaimie Branch left a solid body of work whose sound doesn’t hide the sensitive colorist within her. Her music remains a lasting expression of creativity and gratitude.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Borealis Dancing ► 03 - Burning Grey ► 08 - Take Over the World

Yuhan Su - Liberated Gesture

Label: Sunnyside Records, 2023

Personnel - Yuhan Su: vibraphone; Caroline Davis: alto saxophone; Matt Mitchell: piano; Marty Kenney: bass; Dan Weiss: drums.

Yuhan Su, an emerging and classically-trained vibraphonist and composer hailing from Taiwan and currently based in New York, is known for pushing the boundaries of her art. In her fourth album, Liberated Gesture, she presents 10 original compositions inspired by personal experiences and the work of German-French artist Hans Hartung. Su collaborates with seasoned improvisers, including saxophonist Caroline Davis, keyboardist Matt Mitchell, and drummer Dan Weiss. Rounding out the fabulous quintet is bassist Marty Kenney, a member of Brian Krock’s Big Heart Machine and Steve Slagle Trio.

The track "Hi-Tech Pros and Cons" delves into Su's negative experience with iPhones, featuring a wild unison phrase announcing the propulsive force of a rhythm that advances with precise movements without ever feel stiff or mechanical. The staccato accompaniment creates a stark counterpoint, inspiring expressive solos from Davis, consistently elucidative in her ideas, and Su, who boasts a striking, definitive sound with exquisite note choices. 

There’s an impressive consistency of lyrical melody over rich harmony, and that’s valid even when challenging tempos and unstoppable energy are on display. Such is the case of “Character”, a post-bop meets modern creative funk fusion that is among the standouts. “Didion”, dedicated to American writer Joan Didion, sounds a great deal freer as piano turbulence falls atop the groovy septuplet drumming of Weiss, who kills it on the kit all the way through. This disarming composition balances delicacy and wildness within a fluid, if tense, stream, with Mitchell's infectious piano work contributing to a dreamy atmosphere.

"Siren Days" draws inspiration from siren sounds during the first pandemic lockdown in New York, displaying an intuitive affinity for attractive revolving patterns. The catchy ostinato at the base motivates this energetic pulsation taken further on “Liberated Gesture III: Tightrope Walk“ via audaciously metered passages showcasing driving bass and drums in a beautiful lock. All compositions provide both challenges and opportunities for the soloists and the closer, “Hassan’s Fashion Magazine”, inspired by Moroccan photographer Hassan Hajjaj’s work, conjures something super fun - half-funk, half-swing - with an earnest call-and-response between Su and Mitchell. 

The album also includes introspective pieces like “Naked Swimmer”, inspired by memories of a jump into an icy cold lake in Taiwan and featuring a bass solo, and “Liberated Gesture II: Arc”, where Su’s finely honed vibraphone work takes center stage.

Using the superlative talents of her peers to good advantage, Su commands this quintet with brilliancy, interspersing unflinching composed parts and free-spirited interplay in a bold yet accessible session that deserves recognition.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Hi-Tech Pros and Cons ► 02 - Character ► 06 - Siren Days

Quinsin Nachoff - Stars and Constellations

Label: Adhyaropa Records, 2023

Personnel - Quinsin Nachoff: tenor saxophone; Mark Helias: acoustic bass; Dan Weiss: drums + Bergamot Quartet and The Rhythm Method (#2).

Innovative Canadian saxophonist Quinsin Nachoff infuses his music with subtleties and complexities, providing a unique listening experience. His most recent CD, Stars and Constellations, delves into long forms and draws inspiration from mythology. Musically, the off-kilter successor to Ethereal Trio (Whirlwind Recordings, 2017) guarantees powerful orchestration that absorbs disparate elements from Coltrane and Bartók. Nachoff’s resourceful jazz trio, featuring Mark Helias on bass and Dan Weiss on drums, is strengthened by two New York-based string quartets (Bergamot and Rhythm Method) in a three-piece volume where they excel at sounding fully integrated.

“Stars and Constellations: Scorpio” opens the curtain to a fantastic sonic world with pizzicato strings, thoughtful soft drumming, and combined arco work from bass and cello. Tapestries are reworked, altering intensities, and the ever-growing bass lines of Helias create monologues for certain periods. Fantastic harmonic progressions and mutating rhythms trigger a gorgeously extended saxophone improvisation in which Nachoff showcases his spontaneity, range, and systematic articulation. The finale generates cheerful movements by blending modern classical dynamics with adventurous post-bop, making it the most jazz-oriented piece of the three.

“Stars and Constellations: Sagittarius” embarks on a journey with intriguing ascending glissandi, part of the instrumental mosaics and experimental observations that constitute the whole. This progressive 20-minute crusade was inspired by the mapping procedures of physicist Stephen Morris from the University of Toronto and is sculpted with elegance, discipline, and ambition. Nachoff hits the high registers with force during a revolutionary section prone to improvisation, while Helias plunges into a more pensive state. Weiss’ rhythm flows transition from understated accompaniment to a salient and elaborated solo. The piece finishes with melodic conjoint actions.

Bridging these pieces is “Pendulum”, a tasteful chamber abstraction comprised of spiraling melodies and evincing a high degree of responsiveness and calibration. Although featuring the two aforementioned string quartets engaging with each other, it’s Weiss who stands out by enlivening the rhythmic foundation with cleverness, while the coordination and teamwork between tenor sax and strings takes the form of a conclusive call-and-response.

Finding an exceptional connection between improvisation and notated music, Nachoff continues to forge a path of his own, moving in a revelatory line of action that separates him from other creatives.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Stars and Constellations: Scorpio ► 02 - Pendulum

Peggy Lee Band - A Giving Way

Label: Songlines Recordings, 2023

Personnel - Peggy Lee: cello; John Bentley: saxophone; Brad Turner: trumpet, flugelhorn, cornet; Jeremy Berkman: trombone; Ron Samworth: electric and acoustic guitars; Tony Wilson: electric guitar; André Lachance: electric bass; Dylan Van Der Schyff: drums.

Canadian cellist, improviser, and composer Peggy Lee boasts excellent credentials, having collaborated with spontaneous creatives such as Butch Morris, Wadada Leo Smith, Gordon Grdina, and Barry Guy. As a leader, she gained notoriety with her own octet, currently featuring two electric guitarists and a three-horn frontline. Following an 11-year hiatus, their sixth release, A Giving Way, is likely to attract new converts with eclectic music influenced by jazz, avant-garde, classical, Eastern music, and pop/rock.

In a brief span, “It’s Simple” exhibits a poignant melody and folk ascendancy, but the group digs deeper on the polyrhythmic “Internal Structures”, the first standout moment of the album. The electric bass lines of André Lachance is the glue that holds everything together, while Lee’s cello provides textural consistency. The horn players - saxophonist John Bentley, trumpeter Brad Turner, and trombonist Jeremy Berkman - exude a contagious sense of bliss, while guitarists Ron Samworth and Tony Wilson opt for distortion-infested washes. The undercurrents might be disorienting but the uninhibited group, propelled by Lee’s husband, drummer Dylan Van Der Schyff, swings boldly, allowing for a captivating trumpet statement.

While Turner takes a more active role in the first half of the album, Bentley shines in the second. The trumpeter is a standout assets on “Boat Ride Into Go Home Bay”, a rich piece bookended by pensive thoughts, and “Justice/Honour”, a response to George Floyd’s murder where the ensemble conjures something modal and epic, with Eastern spice and raw percussive tract. Among devotional horn expression, there’s classical suggestions and subtle modulation.

“Promise” serves up polished post-bop anthemics laced with a marked rock rhythm, full-bodied unisons, and a bluesy guitar solo. If this is bracingly immediate on the ear, the delicate “A Giving Way” brings the cello to center stage, later joined by tenor sax for a final emotional crescendo. The ensemble updates The Band’s haunting ballad “Whispering Pines” with enthusiasm and respect, leading “Walk Over Walk” to an ecstatic collective moment after starting cautiously.

Peggy Lee proves to be a generous composer in this transformative sonic journey, seamlessly blending profundity and abandonment.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Internal Structures ► 05 - Justice / Honour ► 06 - A Giving Way

Aruán Ortiz - Pastor's Paradox

Label: Clean Feed, 2023

Personnel - Aruán Ortiz: piano, voice; Don Byron: clarinet, bass clarinet, voice; Lester St Louis: cello (#1,2,4,5,6); Pheeroan AkLaff: drums + Yves Dhar: cello (#3,7); Mute Gant: spoken word (#1,4,6).

Cuban-born, Brooklyn-based pianist and composer Aruán Ortiz has consistently stood out as a notable voice in the vibrant New York creative scene. Following his remarkable trio album, Serranías (Intakt, 2023), a high-quality blend of contemporary Cuban-jazz hybridity, comes Pastor’s Paradox, another intriguing album with a distinct concept and sound. The bass-less quartet at the core of this seven-song cycle includes distinguished clarinetist Don Byron, with whom he recorded a duo album in 2018, adventurous cellist Lester St. Louis, and seasoned drummer Pheeroan AkLaff. 

In celebration of his 50th birthday year and inspired by Martin Luther King’s iconic ‘I Have a Dream’ speech, Ortiz draws inspiration from themes of racial, women's, and Latino rights, adopting the form and structure of the activist’s transformative discourses. The music, often embracing a dark quality, is marked by subtle hooks and grand gestures, showcasing painstakingly rendered harmonies and melodies. This creates a disarming emotional directness juxtaposed with an indelible improvisational appetite.

The atonal and abrasive “Autumn of Freedom” features Mtume Gant, whose spoken word consists of fragments of Dr. King’s speech. He also stands out on “The Dream That Wasn’t Meant to be Ours”, a chimeric dissertation with its own plaintive melodic thrust that brims with AkLaff’s timbral magnificence via an expert toms and cymbal work. Mysterious and uncanny atmospheric sounds permeate this piece, much like on “Pastor’s Paradox”, a brooding, pensive dirge featuring dreamy bass clarinet, rasping cello tones, sparse yet tense piano chords, and single-note ambiguities, complemented by sounded percussion.

The slowly built “Turning the Other Cheek No More” elopes into a rapturous rhythm prior to long clarinet notes and continual terse incisions of guest cellist Yves Dhar who responds regularly to Byron’s assertive communication. Following striking improvisation, a dire crescendo takes listeners out of their comfort zone before a composed finale in unison. The pieces avoid obvious paths, and “From Montgomery to Memphis” is an avant-garde persuasion where Ortiz’s arpeggiated pianism serves as an anchor, providing guidance and support to Byron’s defiant phrases He has an additional back up in St. Louis’ pizzicato hops.

The album concludes with “No Justice, No Peace, Legacy!”, a ruminative, motivic, and driving number to which the band members lend their voices.Visibly benefiting from the like-minded musicians’ rapport, Ortiz’s Pastor’s Paradox is compelling in its music and vital in its message.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Pastor’s Paradox ► 03 - Turning the Other Cheek No More ► 05 - From Montgomery to Memphis

Loren Stillman - Time And Again

Label: Sunnyside Records, 2023

Personnel - Loren Stillman: alto saxophone; Drew Gress: double bass; Mark Ferber: drums.

Quirky and underrated, American saxophonist Loren Stillman is recognized for his embrace of sober tones and selection of impish notes while crafting phrases that are rich in ambiguity. His Sunnyside debut, Time and Again, showcases eight original compositions that take on distinctive shapes through the adept interpretations of his new trio mates—bassist Drew Gress and drummer Mark Ferber. The tunes are demanding, but the trio's experience allows them to navigate potential pitfalls, resulting in an intriguing and compelling sound.

“Backyard”, an engaging, groovy, and open post-bop vehicle, serves as fertile ground for exploring Stillman's non-obvious lines. The piece incorporates a smart bass vamp in its final segment, complemented by crisp drum chops. “Unsung” packs genuine emotion, addressing the not-heard-enough music of heroes such as Paul Motian, Warne Marsh, and Lee Konitz. It features a well-spoken bass statement. The title track, “Time and Again”, begins with controlled tom-tom rambles and valuable cymbal complementation. The rubato style enhances the heartfelt playing, and the music is unleashed with forlorn, breathing and revolving around a beautiful melody. 

In "The Mask”, Stillman passionately explores a folk-inspired direction, reminiscent of Jan Garbarek. This elegantly crafted piece features coruscating snare radiance, firmly placed bass lines, and sinuous melodic contours. "Fearless Dreamer", previously recorded in a bass-less quartet format, is admirably structured, swinging with a defiant posture and showcasing saxophone eruptions crafted from a language of impressive spontaneity. 

These overarching sonic architectures earn a special meaning with “Foist”, a modal-inflected blues piece that gradually turns up the heat, celebrating a cadenced, odd-metered groove. Gress and Ferber construct a trancelike rhythmic undertow that harmoniously supports the bandleader's expressive speech. 
Even in moments of unfolded abstraction, the trio's unique sounds articulate perfectly. Each track stands on its own, revealing more distinctive characteristics with each subsequent listen.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Backyard ► 05 - Foist ► 08 - The Mask

Caroline Davis - Alula: Captivity

Label: Ropeadope Records, 2023

Personnel - Caroline Davis: alto saxophone, synth, voice; Chris Tordini: bass; Tyshawn Sorey: drums + Val Jeanty: turntables, samples; Qasim Naqvi: modular synthesizer (#7,8); Ben Hoffmann: Prophet 6 (#10).

Saxophonist and composer Caroline Davis returns with her electro-acoustic trio Alula, featuring new faces - Chris Tordini on bass and Tyshawn Sorey on drums in place of keyboardist Matt Mitchell and drummer Greg Saunier. The trio is augmented with special guests for Davis’ first social justice album, where she delves into the topics of incarceration, the prison industrial complex, and abolition. 

Inspired by activists and authors such as Maya Angelou, Angela Davis, Jennifer Teege, and Rabindranath Tagore, and incorporating relevant samples into most of the musical stories, Davis showcases compositional and experimental abilities that shine throughout the album. Fueled by a fast-pulsing vitality that comes from rock and techno music, “Burned Believers” was written in honor of accused heretics Agnes Franco and Huguette de la Cote, both burned alive in the 14th century. It’s a propulsive venture with expedite saxophone deliveries, impeccable drumming by Sorey, turntable scratching by Val Jeanty, and samples from speeches by Lorraine Hansberry and Astrid Delais.

“And Yet it Moves”, composed for Galileo, takes a more complex rhythmic approach and gains its zippy feel from Sorey’s stirring drumming. Davis’ authoritative saxophone statement are packed with purposeful motifs and high-pitched notes that reflect her sentiments about the sentencing of a truth seeker to life prison. "A Way Back to Myself" meanders along spacious balladic avenues with lullaby-like melodies, demonstrating compassion for Keith LaMar, a death row prisoner in the state of Ohio.

Written for Jalil Muntaqim, a political activist and former member of the Black Panther Party who spent almost 50 years in prison before his release, “Synchronize My Body Where My Mind Had Always Been” has the saxophone and bass standing shoulder to shoulder while various elements of the drum kit are brushed with sophistication. This story has continuation with “Terrestrial Rebels”, giving it a somewhat jarring electronics-infused conclusion.

Before the anthemic notes of the final track, “Put it on a Poster”, whose mix of ennui and hope provides a fascinating contrast, comes “I Won’t Be Back, Mrs. Susan Burton”, the standout track on the album. It’s a forceful improvised romp ingrained with a lot of energy, power, and determination. Davis composed it for Susan Burton, a South L.A. native who founded the nonprofit organization, A New Way of Life, to help formerly incarcerated women. 

Strong sounds, a strong message, a strong fight back - Alula delivers a compelling musical and social justice statement.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Burned Alive ► 03 - And yet it Moves ► 09 - I Won’t be back, Mrs. Susan Burton

Hedvig Mollestad Weejuns - Weejuns

Label: Rune Grammofon, 2023

Personnel - Hedvig Mollestad: guitar; Ståle Storløkken: Hammond organ, synths, continuum; Ole Mofjell: drums.

Weejuns is the product of a productive collaboration between Norwegian guitarist Hedvig Mollestad, keyboardist Ståle Storløkken, and drummer Ole Mofjell. In this improvised session, experimental ambient segments provide a platform for bold metal-inclined forays that gradually merge in a control manner. The potential for creative expression is vast, and the music, far from feeling one-dimensional, becomes increasingly audacious as it unfolds. The trio fearlessly embraces atonal elements, allowing their notes and timbres to mingle and intersect. Those familiar with Mollestad's work will notice a different approach, especially due to the instrumentation, while her trademark guitar sound remains consistent.

On “Go at Your Peril”, they cook up a tense, bluesy rock stew with limited motion and explorative activity. Unison arpeggiated lines signal a shift in intensity, announcing the forthcoming improvisation. “Come Monday” takes a more spectral approach, with both dial and vibing electronic sounds, while Mofjell’s drumming reverberates in the background. It’s a well-ventilated experiment, though not as accessible as the subsequent piece, “Hug That Tree”. The latter, assembled from various components, starts with refracted drums responding to codified synth patches and irregular streams of shattering guitar. Multiple frequencies create a psychedelic effect before an odd-metered guitar riff emerges, underpinning sinewy keyboard layouts. The texture undergoes changes, and the roles are reversed when the synth bassline holds the groove for a ferocious guitar improvisation.

“I’ll Give You Twenty One” introduces ominous clouds, reflecting the trio's somber side through persistent drones and languid, sustained tones. Later, cyclic riffery takes on a groovy form. “Stay at Your Peril” immerses the listeners in a state of ambiguity and contemplation before transitioning to a jazzier atmosphere that segues into a seven-beat arpeggiated chord progression. Muscular drumming and the keyboard’s lower notes infuse a rock sensibility by the end. The album concludes with the Satriani-like “Pity the City”, a more emotional and polished piece with an asymmetric time signature {8+9}. The bars are subsequently equipoised for the guitar solo.

Weejuns haunts from the first note to the last but may require time for its alternation of precise and open moves be fully absorbed. While not as explosive and immediate as Ekhidna (2020) and Tempest Revisited (2021), it’s more risk-taking and ruminative. There’s more to delve into, but it already comes with the stamp ‘recommended’.

Favorite Tracks:
03 - Hug That Tree ► 05 - Stay at Your Peril ► 06 - Pity the City

Rodrigo Amado The Bridge - Beyond the Margins

Label: Trost Records, 2023

Personnel - Rodrigo Amado: tenor saxophone; Alexander von Schlippenbach; piano; Ingebrigt Haker Flaten: bass; Gerry Hemingway: drums.

The Portuguese saxophonist Rodrigo Amado has consistently explored the outer boundaries of improvised jazz, striving to breaking new ground at each new collaboration. His latest recording, Beyond the Margins, features an international quartet known as The Bridge, with German pianist Alexander von Schlippenbach, Norwegian bassist Ingebrigt Haker Flaten, and American drummer Gerry Hemingway. This three-track album is a leap forward for Amado who, fully committed to bringing expressivity and energy to the setting, extracts the utmost from the group’s push-and-pull inventiveness.

The journey begins with the title cut, a sprawling 40-minute piece filled with spontaneous detours, a bountiful fruit of their visionary creativity. Amado’s tenor, skillfully bending notes to create a sense of delightful dissonance in the phrasing, dances atop a dreamlike Coltranean texture that, steering away from melancholy, soon escalates in density and intensity. The music follows a focused direction, painted by amorphous bass moves and colorful drum work. Burnished high-range saxophone lines and agile piano take turns in the melodic thread, and we realize these musicians respect each other’s spaces within the framework.
Fine melodies and balanced rhythmic cadences are complemented with bright figures, which usually culminate in moments of visceral impact. Tricky harmonic choices, crisp angularity, and staggering rhythms are all part of the music tapestry. As the piece unfolds, we have expansion and contraction as expected, ending with a swinging eruption driven by Haker Flaten, who previously had operated with arco, and Hemingway, a sophisticated drummer who infuses meticulously placed rhythms throughout.

A piano riff sets “Personal Mountains” in motion, soon joined by bracing drumming, candid bass lines, and folk-inspired saxophone chants that gain further expression in “(visiting) Ghosts”. The latter, a free interpretation of Albert Ayler’s original piece, plays out like a spiritual ballad at the outset before exploding with energy.

Amado and The Bridge demonstrate a remarkable ability to work at both micro and macro levels, crafting moments that captivate the attention of open-eared listeners. Alternating between apparent stagnancy, simmering tension, and fiery explosions, this is a record free jazzers should go for.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Beyond the Margins ► 02 - Personal Mountains

Drew Zaremba - Reunion

Label: Next Level, 2023

Personnel - Drew Zaremba: saxophone, organ, composition, arrangements; Andrew Janak: saxophones; Jared Cathey: saxophones; Austin Cebulske: saxophones; Allison Young: saxophones; Jake Boldman: trumpet; Gabe Mervine: trumpet; Dawn Kramer: trumpet; Shawn Williams: trumpet; Wayne Bergeron: trumpet; Zach Rich: trombone; Paul Mckee: trombone; Seth Weaver: trombone, vocals; John Matthews: bass trombone; Steve Kovalcheck: electric guitar; Dana Landry: piano; Erik Applegate: upright and electric bass; Jim White: drum set; Brian Claxton: percussion; Marion Powers: vocals.

Drew Zaremba demonstrates his immense musical talent and eclecticism in a jubilant big band project featuring grand arrangements of well-known classical, jazz, and rock pieces, along with original compositions. Zaremba has honed his craft through composition and arrangement work for notable figures like Wycliff Gordon and Eddie Gomez, and by playing alongside his mentor John Clayton, who produced the album. He has also collaborated with Walt Weiskopf and the legendary Billy Harper.

The delightful clash of musical styles is palpable throughout the album, with the spectacular orchestration of "The Entertainer" serving as a prime example. Here, classical elements converge with the jazz vibes of New Orleans, resulting in dynamic rhythmic shifts, groove, and a sense of elasticity. The solos are concise and vibrant, as seen in the rendition of Pink Floyd's "Money", which features intricate meter changes, clever accents, ostinato bass patterns, and fluid percussion. Zaremba's exploration also delves into Latin influences, and Marion Powers' vocals inject a breezy jazz sensibility that elevates the song to a new dimension.

Written for trumpeter Wayne Bergeron, “You Ain’t the Blues” develops in a mellow tone, flowing viscously at a medium-slow tempo. This provides a sharp contrast to "Minute Waltz", a fiery 4/4 bop excursion reminiscent of Buddy Rich, which propels the soloists with infectious energy. Similarly contrasting in nature are the final tracks on the alum, “Together” and “Reunion in Greeley”. “Together”, sung by Marion Powers, is an emotional waltz written for Zaremba’s wife and son, while “Reunion in Greeley” brims with an irresistible verve and bluesy colors, elevated by trombone exchanges, spirited saxophone-trumpet interactions, and talkative drums.

“We Got This” exudes a funky fusion vibe, with adventurous guitar lines rising above the orchestral backdrop, while "Glenmere" is characterized by harmonic allure and a gentle rhythm that flirts with Brazilian bossa nova influences before building up with ostinato patterns and glissandi. 

Despite the familiarity of some of the tunes, Zaremba pushes the boundaries of big band jazz through skillful arrangements. It's evident that the musicians accompanying him here are not only committed to group cohesion but also ready to shine when called upon to improvise. The result is a recording brimming with vitality and affirmation.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - The Entertainer ► 03 - Money ► 10 - Reunion in Greeley

Sylvie Courvoisier - Chimera

Label: Intakt Records, 2023

Personnel - Sylvie Courvoisier: piano; Wadada Leo Smith: trumpet; Nate Wooley: trumpet; Christian Fennesz: guitar; Drew Gress: bass; Kenny Wollesen: drums, vibraphone.

On the heels of The Rite of Spring, a classical/improvised jazz piano hybrid recorded at four hands with Cory Smythe, Swiss-born pianist Sylvie Courvoisier releases the double-disc Chimera, inspired by the art of French Symbolist Odilon Redon. The stunning batch of new compositions is brought to life by a sextet comprised of her regular trio mates, bassist Drew Dress and drummer Kenny Wollesen, plus a powerful trumpet frontline with creatives Wadada Leo Smith and Nate Wooley, and Austrian guitarist Christian Fennesz providing unexpected atmospherics to the mix. 

The music provides a deep sense of fantasy and reverie from where the group’s understated, sometimes esoteric side comes out. Melodies gently float above, ascending higher, and then landing on ambiguous realms. These can be lulling, descriptive, and hypnotic until the group pulls the rug out with brief blasts of avant-garde jazz. The opener, “Le Pavot Rouge”, sets the tone, introduced by beautiful bass playing before pulsing with a world music-inspired disposition. Intermittent distorted guitar chords immersed in reverb and other ethereal effects intermingle with the piano riff, while the trumpeters complement each other with undisturbed lines and high-pitched moans. The second half of the piece, which spans over 21 minutes, itakes on a darker and more mysterious tone without losing its fragility or pathos. It ultimately concludes with the same amiable sense of hope that it began with.

The fluidity of “Partout Des Prunelles Flamboient” is a marvel. This track, titled after Redon’s 1988 lithograph, takes a more jazz-oriented approach, bringing together electronic noise, tonal fusion with Eric Dolphy-esque angularity on top, and sudden rhythmic shifts that enliven a texture already packed with mesmerizing psychedelic irruptions. It lives in the borderlands between the dreamy and the boisterous. In turn, “La Joubarbe Aragaineuse” remains cold and static in its suspended state of cinematic expression. 

The second disc opens with the 14-minute "La Chimère aux Yeux Verts", an ambient soundscape that incorporates Keith Jarrett-esque folk-jazz piano elements and a propulsive backbeat at its core. Double trumpet interjections sometimes align, but Smith and Wooley showcase the unique qualities of their sounds, scattering chimeric chains and fragments of melody over tense low-pitched piano explosions and otherworldly guitar smears. The album concludes with "Le Sabot de Venus", avoiding sinister developments and leaving the listener with a sense that a profound journey has taken place.

Courvoisier demonstrates her ability for transformation in these long, slowly evolving pieces that continue to intrigue with their trance-like quality upon each listen.

Favorite Tracks:
01 (CD1) - Le Pavot Rouge ► 03 (CD1) - Partout Des Prunelles Flamboient ► 01 (CD2) - La Chimère aux Yeux Verts

Jean-Marc Hébert - L'Origine Éclatée

Label: Self released, 2023

Personnel - Jean-Marc Hébert: guitar; Lex French: trumpet; Morgan Moore: bass; Pierre Tanguay: drums.

Canadian guitarist Jean-Marc Hébert infuses his compositions with a strong emphasis on ambitious interplay and cohesiveness of sound. His third album as a leader, L’Origine Éclatée, follows the previous releases L’Autre (2007) and L’Attente (2018). For this new endeavor, he collaborates with the mellifluous New Zealander trumpeter Lex French, bassist Morgan Moore, and his longtime associate, drummer Pierre Tanguay. Together, they explore subtle sonic spaces that may bridge the realms of contemporary jazz and world music.

“La Déteinte” provides a meditative emotional template, with the group diving into a vast sea of tranquility. This setting foreshadows the epic proportions the modal piece could reach if played in the style of McCoy Tyner. However, what we hear is more aligned with North European jazz and the ECM sound. Moore provides a fluid solo over the ethereal, slowcore style of jazz that emerges, anchoring the piece with Hebert's well-paced arpeggios. The title cut, “L’Origine Éclatée”, follows, bathing in a slow 4/4 time signature and exploring thematic and melodic elements that leave an agreeable impact. The spotlight shines on French whose muted trumpetism favors straightforward, well-delineated melodies over acrobatics. His approach moderately shifts as he ventures more outside on “Séquence Mouvante”, where solid harmonic passages evoke profound emotion, and a refined rock-laden rhythmic foundation is laid down. Hébert delivers a thoughtful guitar statement atop this backdrop.

Both “Terre Rouge” and “L’Attente” incorporate world sounds influences. The former, presented in the trio format with guitar, bass, and drums, exudes a gentle African groove, painting a hot, arid, and bucolic landscape through the rhythm. The latter, originally featured on the album of the same name, embraces a strong Eastern ambiance and is cooked up patiently with a perfect balance between relaxation and tension. The album comes to a close with “Sud-Ouest”, a country-rock song in 3/4 time.

The group never strays too far into experimental territory, opting instead for a low-key approach that keeps everything well within context. Nevertheless, this offering is more than just passive backdrops with beautiful melodies atop. Hebert’s music is consistently warm, melodic, and easy to assimilate, and the accompanying musicians, recognizing this, bring their inherent lyricism to the forefront with positive outcomes.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - La Déteinte ► 03 - Séquence Mouvante ► 05 - L’Attente

Matana Roberts - Coin Coin Chapter Five: In the Garden

Label: Constellation Records, 2023

Personnel - Matana Roberts: horns, percussion, harmonicas, wordspeak, composition; Darius Jones: alto saxophone, voice; Matt Lavelle: alto clarinet, pocket trumpet; Stuart Bogie: bass clarinet, clarinet, vocal; Mazz Swift: violin, vocal; Cory Smythe: piano, vocal; Kyp Malone: synths; Mike Pride: drums, percussion; Ryan Sawyer: drums, percussion; jaimie branch (courage 1983-2022).

The fifth installment of the Coin Coin project by Chicago-born saxophonist, composer, artist and activist Matana Roberts has arrived, offering a poetic declaration of freedom in them unique, signature style. This time, the theme of abortion weaves through the tracks with open-ended musicality and forward-thinking beliefs. The recording resounds with a powerful slogan that repeats throughout, brimming with newfound urgency: "my name is your name; our name is their name; we are named; we remember, they forgot”.

Surrounded by a new cast of like-minded musicians, Roberts employs an intelligent combination of sounds and words to tell the story of a woman in her ancestral line who tragically passed away due to complications from an illegal abortion. Civil rights are addressed in a record dedicated to the influential late cultural critic Greg Tate. 

The album comes out of the gate with “We Said”, featuring shamanic metallic percussion combined with layers of elongated saxophone that contribute to a dense drone. The marching drums carries clarion tin whistles in a folkloric liberation reminiscent of The Art Ensemble of Chicago. The music complements the words, particularly on “Unbeknownst”, which feels like a work song with violin and clarinet playing cyclic figures over a taut rhythm. 

Two standout pieces, “Predestined Confessions” and “Shake My Bones”, showcase exhilarating saxophone exchanges between Roberts on tenor and Darius Jones on alto. The former piece is a modal weep turned cacophonous spectacle with multiphonics at some point, while the latter is fleshed out with motivic insights, transitioning through a swing feel forged with with a three-time pulse before concluding in a celebratory and revolutionary turbulence.

Sometimes cathartic, sometimes quiet, the music is always confrontational, refusing concessions to ensure the message resonates widely and deeply. Observe how the instruments freely cut through the rhythms on “Different Rings”, creating a a dramatic clamor. Feel the relentless rock-tinged pulse driving “How Prophetic”, accompanied by elated riffs, or how the harmonious vocal alignment on “But I Never Heard a Sound So Loud”, a traditional African-American lullaby. Darker, distorted soundscapes are found on “No Way Chastened” as a result of Mazz Swift’s smoggy violin and Cory Smythe’s deep harmonic clouds.

Regardless on how different these pieces may sound, they undeniably bear Roberts' creative signature. Them invocations can be mystic, experimental, modern free jazz blasts, or simple structures with cyclic synth sequences, but they always seek truth and justice. It’s a significant artistic endeavor.

Favorite Tracks:
03 - Unbeknownst ► 04 - Predestined Confessions ► 12 - Shake My Bones

Kate Gentile - Find Letter X

Label: Pi Recordings, 2023

Personnel - Jeremy Viner: tenor saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet; Matt Mitchell: piano, Prophet-6, modular synths, electronics; Kim Cass: electric and acoustic bass; Kate Gentile: drums, vibraphone, composition.

The multifaceted drummer and composer, Kate Gentile, demonstrates how her compositions can encompass magnetic rhythms, mechanic entanglement, and fluid gravitation in a seismic triple album that offers over three hours of modern creative music. Leading an explorative quartet of Brooklyn-based creatives, including keyboardist Matt Mitchell (her co-conspirator in the Snark Horse duo project), bassist Kim Cass, and saxophonist/clarinetist Jeremy Viner, Gentile mounted Find Letter X in three volumes with a total of 41 tracks. In this review, I will primarily focus on Volume I, titled Iridian Alphabet, an evocation of the magic hour of the night and the mystery drawn from the inexplicable.

The album begins with the short-lived but exquisite “Pulse Capsule”, featuring a syncopated beat and strong electronic components. It proceeds to “Laugh Magic”, an overheated psychedelic journey that lifts us from the ground into the atmosphere. The tranquility of the saxophone is set against the frantic pulsations created by piano, bass and drums. The tempo gradually accelerates alongside mutations in texture, leading to exciting solos from Mitchell and Viner over a churning musical tapestry. 

The acutely nuanced “Subsurface” highlights saxophone multiphonics on top of a deep substratum. It immerses the listener in a hazy cloud of tranquility punctuated with a few dark spots, all accompanied by Gentile’s effective brushwork. Even transcending influences, Viner’s solo here awakens memories of Sam Rivers’s playing. “Recursive Access” boasts a mesmerizing punk-rock drive with enough groove nuance to make you hooked. It also features a cacophonous dialogue between Viner and Mitchell, bringing up gradual changes over time. In a whimsical approach, Gentile ends up stepping up and down in tempo.

“In Casks” opens with a wonderful bass soliloquy and unfolds with polyrhythmic expertise. This fashionable expressiveness persists on burning avant-garde swaggers lie “Ore Whorls” and “Erinome”. The group makes “Prismatoid” as much accentuated and fractured as malleable, forging a shape that represents the swing of the new era. And Cass delivers a zippy statement that deserves one’s full attention. The first volume concludes with “Invisible Wolves”, a porous sound bubble reverberating with vibraphone, droning aesthetics, and a looming sense of danger.

Volume II (Senselessness) takes on a more aggressive tone, infused with high-octane noise, grainy textures, and distortion for a prog-rock, post-punk, trashy metal feast that feels like a futuristic fusion. Volume III (The Cosmic Brain) is a personal favorite, exploring a variety of energies and tones with baffling intricacy and metrical fascination.

Kate Gentile showcases her excellent skills, nodding to different styles in order to create deliberate abstraction and unwavering certitude. The epic Find Letter X stands as one of the most high-energy opuses of the year.

Favorite Tracks:
04 - Subsurface ► 05 - Recursive Access ► 08 - Ore Whorls

Jeremy Udden - Wishing Flower

Label: Sunnyside Records, 2023

Personnel - Jeremy Udden: alto saxophone, Lyricon wind synthesizer; Ben Monder: guitar; Jorge Roeder: bass; Ziv Ravitz: drums.

In his new quartet album, Wishing Flower, Brooklyn-based saxophonist and composer Jeremy Udden returns to the autobiographical compositions and the pleasingly airy quality that characterizes his music. In addition to drawing inspiration from his rural Massachusetts upbringing and cosmopolitan experiences in cities like Boston and New York, he now finds motivation in his two daughters. 

Udden shares with us that inspiration in the album’s opening track, “Wishing Flower”, which delicately and sophisticatedly paints the memory of one of his daughters picking dandelions during a walk in Brooklyn. The melody, with its perfect logic, tries to convey the emotions, all the while supported by the explanatory chops of drummer Ziv Ravitz. Guitarist Ben Monder, whose bold guitarism has been a reference in jazz, then follows him in tandem, together with bassist Jorge Roeder, who adds a sort of loose groove to the bass lines. It all fits wonderfully, and another clear case in point is “Lullaby”, a sweet repose with emotional refulgence and comfort, from the melody to the harmony to the breathable rhythmic underpin of bass and drums.

The quartet gains strength with groove-laden pieces such as “1971” and “Car Radio”. The former, featuring Monder’s shinning guitar work, has a pop/rock sensibility, and Udden makes it special by playing the Lyricon, an analog electronic wind synthesizer; the latter, inspired by street sounds, showcases Roeder’s sure-footed ease with the bass, both in the accompaniment and improvisation.

Bookended by tranquil rubato movements, “Pendulum” embraces a starry introspection at first. Then the guitar slices through the harmony with Monder’s signature rock-infused style. There’s simple bass delineation guaranteeing 10-beat cycle measures, allowing Udden to improvise soulfully, blending inside and outside phrases while never abandoning perceptible melody. The breezy yet powerful listening experience we have with Udden’s seven originals persists during the cyclic three-chord progression of Mazzy Star’s melancholic pop hit, “Fade Into You”. Cautiously introduced by the bassist, the tune gains a certain galactic touch when Udden expresses the main melody on the synth. Concurrently, Monder bends and stretches, while Ravitz creates a three-time feel.

While this work maintains a sense of accomplishment without taking major risks, it beautifully showcases the crisp articulation and transparent tone that characterize Udden's compositions.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Wishing Flower ► 03 - Lullaby ► 05 - Pendulum