Hanami - The Only Way to Float Free

Mai Sugimoto: alto saxophone, clarinet; Andrew Trim: guitar; Jason Stein: bass clarinet; Charles Rumback: drums.

I had an amazing surprise with Hanami, a Chicago-based bassless quartet co-led by guitarist Andrew Trim and multi-reedist Mai Sugimoto, who first joined as a duo for a one-off concert that served to help the victims of Japan’s Tohoku tsunami. Both lived in Japan before, and the melodic influences of that Asian country are identifiable throughout their sophomore album. They mixed them with several other such as heavy rock, punk, blues, Japanese folk, and modern jazz.
The title track erupts with the conductive bass clarinet of Stein, who becomes more adventurous as the time passes, boosted by Rumbach’s bright drumming.
“Shira Ito No Taki” is a sorrowful and articulated tune that carries Oriental flavors in the melody. 
If “Donmai!” boasts a dirty rock guitar enveloped in distortion, “Kita Nagano Motorcycle Gang”, a 3-minute riotous movement of indisputable energy, raises those levels of irreverence through disquiet guitar sounds, violent drumming, and untamable horns. 
Things calm down again with “Hanaikada” where the drummer’s gentle brushwork binds with Trim’s atmospheric chords, hosting the reedists’ simultaneous improvisations. Trim returns to power chords in “Kanzemizu”, and the album becomes complete with the stepwise “Kojo No Tsuki” in its a more classic jazz approach.
Hanami evinces an impressive unity and a distinctive sound that make their excursions more vibrant than other bands within the same genre.

Favorite Tracks:
04 – Kita Nagano Motorcycle Gang ► 05 – Hanakaida ► 06 – Kanzemizu

Dave King Trucking Company - Surrounded by the Night

Chris Speed: tenor saxophone and clarinet; Brandon Wozniak: tenor saxophone; Erik Fratzke: guitar; Chris Morrissey: acoustic bass; Dave King: drums.

Dave King, a skilled drummer with multiple projects, earned his fame due to a wonderful trio called The Bad Plus, in which he teams up with the pianist Ethan Iverson and the bassist Reid Anderson. 
In this project, Trucking Company, he composes with the idea of mixing jazz, rock, and American folk music in the same bag.
Their third album opens with “Delta Kreme”, a 3-minute pop tune delicately dressed in jazzy outfits. King’s brushwork gets a perfect cadence alongside the bass grooves laid down by Morrissey, who seamlessly replaced Adam Linz. 
“Parallel Sister Track” and “Glamour Shot” share a few similarities by distributing agreeable saxophone melodies on top of indie rock textures, but it’s with “You Should Be Watching (Art) Films” that we have the first punch. Rhythmically elaborated, this song benefits from the resolute guitar conversations of Erik Fratzke, King’s longtime associate, who uses the perfect amount of distortion. 
“Blue Candy” is a bit whimsical compared to the other tracks but claims its own space, while “That Isn't Even Worth Selling”, whose melody is played in unison before Morrissey’s gritty bass solo, antagonize with its own title by showing a maturity that makes it ready to be consumed. King and his Company finalize with “Don't Be Suspect of a Gift”, a strenuous triumph suitable for surfers looking for big waves during these hot summer days. The saxophonists, Speed and Wozniak, are on the loose here.

Favorite Tracks:
03 – You Should Be Watching (Art) Films ► 06 – That Isn't Even Worth Selling ► 07 – Don't Be Suspect of a Gift

Eric Revis Trio - Crowded Solitudes

Kris Davis: piano; Eric Revis: double bass; Gerald Cleaver: drums.

Eric Revis is an unpredictable bassist who played with Jeff ‘Tain’ Watts, Branford Marsalis, Kurt Rosenwinkel, and recently with the pianist Aruan Ortiz and the trumpeter Avishai Cohen.
In “Crowded Solitudes”, his fifth album, he leads a fantastic trio composed of the hyper-creative pianist Kris Davis and the focused drummer Gerald Cleaver.
The album opens with “Arcane 17”, a tune where there’s a lot going on. We can indulge in the non-linear yet steady groove lay down by Revis while Cleaver threatens to catch fire on several occasions. Davis bestows her strong influence, counterpointing with sobs and chords imbued in tension.
In “Bontah”, the voice of an infant, presumably Revis’ son, can be heard and the rhythmic cadence of his words was the inspiration for this spellbinding, motivic tune. 
A meek atmosphere envelops Paul Motian’s “Victoria”. It starts with a bass intro and showcases Cleaver’s brushwork while Davis flourishes with sparse touches that never feel gratuitous. 
The presence of a swinging bass is quite surprising on “D.O.C.”, but actually feels good. Davis constructs nice melodies based on motifs to be deconstructed afterward with a soulful imagination. Right after Greg Osby’s hectic “Vertical Hold”, the album closes with “Anamnesis Pt.1 and Pt.2” whose movements are very distinguishable, driving us from a bucolic contemplation to a quasi-military agitation. This is an eminent album that makes us ask for more.

Favorite Tracks:
01 – Arcane 17 ► 02 – Bontah ► 05 – D.O.C.

Vijay Iyer & Wadada Leo Smith - A Cosmic Rhythm With Each Stroke

Vijay Iyer: piano, Fender Rhodes, electronics; Wadada Leo Smith: trumpet.

When the highly sensitive chords and textures created by the pianist Vijay Iyer meet the pungent trumpet melodies of Wadada Leo Smith, there are uncanny sensations floating in the air.
“Passage” displays a melodic cry over a dramatic foundation that inhabits between the beautiful and the dark. 
In “All Becomes Alive”, Iyer makes use of electronic components, introducing a 2-note bass ostinato. In turn, Smith exposes his impressive technique through exquisite and precise melodic phrases. This song becomes enchantingly percussive in its final section. 
Mysterious tones created by Iyer involve “The Empty Mind Receives”, where Smith uses a trumpet mute to express himself slowly and clearly.
“Labyrinths” is a spontaneous avant-garde incursion that makes justice to its title, entangling us in grandiose piano/trumpet explorations. 
Spaceships, planets, and distant galaxies came to my mind in “A Divine Courage”, whose ominous vibes in the background give place to a ravishing cinematic atmosphere.  
“Notes on Water”, despite the tranquilizing start and Iyer’s residual accompaniment on Fender Rhodes, evolves into a mesmerizing crescendo where Smith’s attacks can be compared to tumults of temper and emotion.
In this haunting achievement, minimalism and virtuosity are deeply interconnected.

Favorite Tracks:
01 – Passage ► 02 – All Becomes Alive ► 04 – Labyrinths

Dan Weiss - Sixteen: Drummers Suite

Dan Weiss: drums, tabla; Thomas Morgan: acoustic bass; Matt Mitchell: keyboards, piano, vibraphone; Jacob Sacks: piano; Miles Okazaki: guitars; David Binney: alto saxophone; Miguel Zenon: alto saxophone; Ohad Talmor: tenor saxophone; Jacob Garchik: trombone, tuba; Ben Gerstein: trombone; Stephen Cellucci: percussion; Katie Andrews: harp; Anna Webber: flutes; Judith Berkson: vocals; Lana Is: vocals; Jen Shyu: vocals.

Dan Weiss, a prominent element in past projects of Rudresh Mahanthappa, David Binney, and Rez Abbasi, claims more visibility as a bandleader, and “Sixteen: Drummers Suite” is a bold move in that direction. 
The opening track exhibits 56 seconds of his drumming skills, inviting us to the following six tracks, each of them carrying the name of an iconic drummer in the title.
“Elvin”, inspired by Elvin Jones, kicks in with a jumpy bass/drums groove adorned with cyclic piano lines, a few dissonant keyboard effects, vocals, horns, claps, and Okazaki’s guitar, which finishes the song in style. 
Max Roach is remembered in “Max”, a tune that continues delivering similar sounds of those showed by its predecessor. This time, however, the vocal component gets even bigger salience while Weiss and Morgan work on surprising rhythmic variations.
Invoking the unique Tony Williams, “Tony” is undoubtedly my favorite composition. It starts with Morgan’s bass intro and features a kinetic alto sax duel between Binney and Zenon, a shifting keyboard solo by Mitchell, and ends up in the melancholic piano of Jacob Sacks.
The percussive “Philly Joe” reaches epic proportions and culminates with another tense interaction between Mitchell and Sacks while “Ed”, a 15-minute piece that acknowledges Ed Blackwell, follows up the complex-yet-malleable moves of the previous pieces.

Favorite Tracks: 
02 – Elvin ► 04 – Tony ► 05 – Philly Joe

Jeff Denson Quartet - Concentric Circles

Jeff Denson: bass and vocals; Paul Hanson: bassoon; Dan Zemelman: piano; Alan Hall: drums.

“Concentric Circles” marks the return of the American bassist Jeff Denson, who previously had recorded with Lee Konitz and his trio. Here, he convenes a competent quartet to play nine original compositions that rely on a congruous compound of post-bop and progressive jazz. In addition to these, there’s Duke Ellington’s classic ballad “I Got it Bad”, played solo by the bandleader.
The opening tunes, “City Life on Trains” and “Anticipation”, reveal to have some melodic and rhythmic connections, being also strong and vividly active in terms of improvisations, in which the bassoonist Paul Hanson stands out, together with the pianist Dan Zemelman.
In the chamberesque lament “A Thought That Lingers”, Denson comes to the forefront with his great bow work, while in “Wishing Well” he shows his vocal aptitudes. His bass-playing arco can be heard once again in the simmering “Time Waits For No One”, which sounds like a sensual dancing piece flourished with tango insinuations.
“Cycles” returns to the liveliness of the first couple of tunes, just before Ellington’s cited song where Denson shows his portentous bowing technique.

Favorite Tracks:
01 – City Life on Trains ► 03 – A Thought That Lingers ► 05 – Time Waits For No One

Ken Peplowski - Enrapture

Ken Peplowski: clarinet, tenor Saxophone; Ehud Asherie: piano; Martin Wind: bass; Matt Wilson: drums.

Throughout the listening of “Enrapture”, Ken Peplowski demonstrates all his versatility and confidence both on clarinet and tenor saxophone. He opens with the Dixieland colors of “The Flaming Sword”, a Duke Ellington composition, and finishes with “Willow Tree”, a traditional blues composed by Fats Waller. Thus, as you can imagine there’s a lot of mainstream jazz here, with some nice surprises in the middle. 
Peplowski and his quartet stroll along sweet landscapes, showing a clear tendency to mellow tones with ballads directly connected to the movies such as “An Affair to Remember”; a love theme from Hitchcock’s “Vertigo”; “Cheer Up Charlie”, which was performed by Diana Sowie in “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory”; and “I’ll Follow My Secret Heart” composed by the eccentric Noel Coward for his musical “Conversation Piece” and played on sax with a tremulous vibrato. 
It also includes a little piece from Lennon and Yoko called “Oh My Love” and “When October Goes”, a composition started by Johnny Mercer and finished by Barry Manilow who popularized it in the mid-80's. However, it was with Herbie Nichols’ “Enrapture”, where Wilson and Asherie shine individually, and Peter Erskine’s “Twelve”, a great tune replete of calls and responses, that Peplowski and his peers captivated me more due to the more enticing and adventurous nature of these compositions.

Favorite Tracks:
01 – The Flaming Sword ► 06 – Enrapture ► 07 – Twelve

Greg Ward & 10 Tongues - Touch My Beloved's Thought

Greg Ward: alto saxophone; Keefe Jackson: tenor and baritone saxophones; Tim Haldeman: tenor saxophone; Norman Palm: trombone; Christopher Davis: bass trombone; Russ Johnson: trumpet; Ben LaMarGuy: cornet; Dennis Luxion: piano; Jason Roebke: bass; Marcus Evans: drums.

The ten tunes of Greg Ward’s latest record courageously sought inspiration in Charles Mingus’ 1963 masterpiece “The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady”, revealing mature compositional work and striking arrangements. The efficient altoist opens with a notable composition entitled “Daybreak” in which he pulls out a breathtaking improvisation. “Singular Serenade” gives it a final sequence through Luxion’s solo piano. “The Menacing Lean” takes the proportions of a big-band march. An interlude by the reeds anticipates “With All Your Sorrow”, a ballad that avoids stiffness by evolving to a more groovy balance, featuring Palm’s trombone solo. “Grit” and “Round 3” belong to those kinds of enthusiastic shuffles that could be creations of Mingus or Sun Ra. The former composition features Jackson’s penetrating baritone sax while the latter, in a more rocking style, showcases another improvisational rampage, this time by Haldeman on tenor saxophone. Roebke nimbly introduces “Dialogue Of The Black Saint” with the sound of his bass, but it’s Johnson's plunger trumpet solo that takes the lead afterward. "Gather Round, The Revolution Is At Hand", the last and longest tune, exhibits a boisterous collective interaction in order to conclude the evocative album.

Favorite Tracks:
01 – Daybreak ► 09 – Dialogue Of The Black Saint ► 10 – Gather Round, The Revolution Is At Hand

Rempis / Abrams / Ra + Baker - Perihelion

Dave Rempis: alto, tenor, and baritone saxophones; Joshua Abrams: bass, clarinet; Avreeayl Ra: drums, wooden flute; Jim Baker: keyboards, electronics.

Dave Rempis, a former member of the extravagant Vandermark 5, is an inventive saxophonist and relentless explorer who continues to deserve attention in the free jazz circuit. “Perihelion”, a two disc-set, is the sophomore album of his powerhouse trio, which comprises the bassist Joshua Abrams and the drummer Avreeayl Ra. Together, they passionately make these divagations spill a creative freedom that asks to be absorbed with no preconceptions. The disc one is composed of a 43-minute tune called “Enceladus” that blossoms with spiritual ambiances and relaxed paces, which contrast with some ominous surroundings and well-controlled chaos often articulated with polyrhythms and saxophone outbursts. Somewhere in the middle, the tune gains the form of a tribal dance, bringing warm breezes of the Sahara desert into the mind. The disc two has a special guest -keyboardist Jim Baker joins the trio, adding extra color and sounding incredibly well in the 32-minute “Cassini Division”, a quasi-hallucinogenic experience that vibrates with Rempis’ baritone timbre. “Pan and Daphnis” runs for slightly more than eight minutes and insists on more enigmatic tones while displaying electronics and a static electricity. Fluent in ideas, and rich in climaxes and temperaments, “Perihelion” is an unmissable experience.

Favorite Tracks:
01 – Enceladus ► 02 – Cassini Division

Fred Hersch Trio - Sunday Night At the Vanguard

Fred Hersch: piano; John Hébert: double bass; Eric McPherson: drums.

Fred Hersch, a pianist of elaborate momentum, makes of the diversity his best weapon in “Sunday Nigh at the Vanguard”, recorded live in the most celebrated jazz venue in New York, in the company of the explorative bassist John Hébert and the tremendously adaptable Eric McPherson, who occupied the drummer’s chair.
The inspired melodies and harmonic textures of the pianist combine seamlessly with the throbbing grooves generated by the empathic rhythm section, ending up in curious dialogues that are more concordant than contentious.
Shedding a gentle lyricism, the proficient trio dabbles in a variety of styles. “A Cockeyed Optimist” is the typical jazz standard, “Serpentine” let us feel a strong classical influence, “The Optimum Thing” is a bop-colored tune, “Calligram is an avant-gardish delight dedicated to Benoit Delbecq, “Blackwing Palomino” is a post-bop incursion with rhythmic nuances, McCartney’s “For No One” takes the form of a ballad, Kenny Wheeler’s “Everybody’s Song But My Own” is a gripping exuberance, the weepy “The Peacocks” is naturally impactful, and Monk’s mood is completely identifiable in “Wee See”, here enhanced with some radical rhythmic variations.

Favorite Tracks:
04 – Calligram ► 07 – Everybody’s Song But My Own ► 08 – The Peacocks

JD Allen - Americana

JD Allen: saxophone; Gregg August: bass; Rudy Royston: drums.

Owner of a penetrating sound and an impressive technique, the saxophonist JD Allen turns his focus to the roots by picking some wrinkled old blues and giving them the necessary retouches to fit in the actual jazzistic landscape. Another saxophone player, Noah Preminger, has followed this same concept in “Dark Was The Night, Cold Was The Ground”, in which a few Delta blues got fresh rearrangements. 
“Americana” is a respectable follow-up to “Graffiti”, Allen’s previous, and was also recorded with the glaring rhythm section composed of Gregg August on bass and Rudy Royston on drums. Powerful without being aggressive, Allen and his peers embark on irresistible grooves and strong dynamics that cause immediate empathy on the listener. Oscillating between beseeching and hard-hitting, the calls emitted by the leader’s tenor sax find consistent support in the pungent bass plucking and bowing of August, and in the laudable maneuvers of Royston, whose resolute drive and dry timbre feel quite fresh. The collective sounds simultaneously feisty, raw, and erudite.

Favorite Tracks:
01 – Tell the Truth, Shame the Devil ► 02 – Another Man Done Gone ► 03 – Cotton

Chris Cheek - Saturday Songs

Chris Cheek: tenor saxophone; Steve Cardenas: guitar; David Soler: pedal steel; Jaume Llombard: bass; Jorge Rossy: drums, vibes, marimba.

The full-blooded American saxophonist, Chris Cheek, always had an inclination for choosing guitarists instead of pianists to participate in the recordings under his own name. Two examples are Kurt Rosenwinkle and Ben Monder who helped to make of “I Wish I Knew”, “Vine”, and “A Girl Called Joe” memorable works.
For his new album, “Saturday Songs”, the fulfilling sounds of Steve Cardenas wasn’t enough, so he added the second guitar, a pedal steel operated by the Spanish David Soler. The band is completed with the electric bassist Jaume Llombard, and the experienced and longtime collaborator Jorge Rossy on drums. The combination works well and the resultant urban jazz is both snug and sprightly. The inspirations come from several sources: “String Finger” and “Saturday Song” are marked by a playful, Frisell-like ambiance; “Ginger Something”, “Alhambros”, and “Strawberry Jam” gained an energetic rock pulse with strong riffs; “Windmill Hill”’s approach triggers a sound that gets closer to the mood created in “I Wish I Knew”; “Eye Factory” mirrors a ravishing exoticism while Jobim’s “Forever Green” comes wrapped in an uninterrupted tranquility.
To be absorbed by the fans of both traditional and modern jazz.

Favorite Tracks:
01 – String Finger ► 07 – Saturday Song ► 09 – Forever Green

Kenny Barron Trio - Book Of Intuition

Kenny Barron: piano; Kiyoshi Kitagawa: double bass; Johnathan Blake: drums.

I’ve always had a special fondness for the music of Kenny Barron, a dashing composer and creative pianist of huge technical caliber. I grew up listening to some of his gems such as “Scratch” and “Wanton Spirit”, albums that transpire all his charming spells and elastic expressiveness grounded on hard-bop and post-bop styles.
His new record, “Book of Intuition”, was recorded with Kiyoshi Kitagawa on double bass and Johnathan Blake on drums, a furiously responsive rhythm section that much contributed to the musical quality of the songs.
Barron’s compositions are quite impressive - “Magic Dance” shows pure Bossanova delicacy, “Bud Like” bounces with a frenzy Latin pulse, “Cook’s Day” delivers a calm yet expressive groove, and “Lunacy” is a rhythmically splendorous experience. In addition, we also have the magic of solo piano in “Light Blue”, one of the two Monk’s numbers, and the plaintive sounds of Charlie Haden’s “Nightfall”. 
The trio pulls a myriad of emotions throughout the ten tracks of the recording, making it another captivating and essential work in Barron’s extended discography.

Favorite Tracks:
02 – Bud Like ► 06 – Light Blue ► 07 – Lunacy

Bill Charlap Trio - Notes From New York

Bill Charlap: piano; Peter Washington: double bass; Kenny Washington: drums.

Bill Charlap is a traditional pianist whose recordings usually consist of jazz standards and borrowed compositions. In his latest, “Notes From New York”, the story repeats itself and he leads his reputable trio, composed of his longtime associates Peter Washington on double bass and Kenny Washington on drums, on a voyage that tries to bring the past into the present.
To the habitual structural simplicity, Charlap adds his personal melodic touch through a clear language that also reveals agility.
Whether in a hurried or laid-back pace, the rigor of the rhythm section guarantees the solid foundation for the pianist’s nimble moves.
From the selection of standards, I was particularly pleased with the beautifully dragging accent of “Make Me Rainbows”, the looseness of “A Sleepin’ Bee”, and the sentimentality of “Too Late Now”.
Clearly, jazz purists will be content… but probably they won’t be the only ones.

Favorite Tracks:
02 – Make Me Rainbows ► 05 – A Sleepin’ Bee ► 07 – Too Late Now

Phantom Trio - #00

Fabio Almeida: saxophones and electronics; Sergio Tavares: double bass; João Martins: drums.

“#00” is the energetic debut record from the Portuguese Phantom Trio whose music relies heavily on a powerful rhythm section, regardless if the tune is a rapid-fire excursion or a floating ballad.
The pulsations and webs drawn by Tavares and Martins are diversified enough to avoid monotony, guaranteeing a vital space for the freedom of expression of the saxophonist, Fabio Almeida, who fearlessly explores the ground with intelligence and force. 
The latter also shows an artistic aptitude in managing of the electronic effects.
As some of the track titles suggest, spontaneity can be felt throughout this experimental voyage, where we can identify joyous rhythm syncopations, pressurized atmospheres, twisting-yet-melodic contemplations, and even some influence from other cultures, specifically in “Lacrau”.
I found the Phantom Trio surprisingly calibrated and extremely confident, and
“#00” is an album with personality and ready to be savored by the modern free enthusiasts.

Favorite Tracks:
01 – Espontaneo #1 ► 06 – Zimbro ► 08 – Lacrau

Steve Kuhn Trio - At This Time...

Steve Kuhn: piano; Steve Swallow: electric bass; Joey Baron: drums

The adroit and sensitive American pianist Steve Kuhn has been changing his famous trio along the years, maintaining his vision and personality within a wide variety of styles. 
For this recording, he reunited Steve Swallow and Joey Baron, who had done a staggering job in the excellent “Wisteria” from 2012.
With a refined touch, Kuhn and his peers open with “My Shining Hour”, which flourishes with the appropriate boppish approach, excelling later with a touching version of Quincy Jones’ “The Pawnbroker” and in two originals from the pianist, “All the Rest Is the Same”, delivered with a sensual bossanova feeling, and “The Feeling Within”, played solo.
Less literate and more swinging than its predecessor, this record evenly spreads class, sentiment, and an unrestrained passion.

Favorite Tracks:
01 – My Shining Hour ► 03 – The Pawnbroker ► 04 – All the Rest Is the Same

Mario Pavone - Blue Dialect

Mario Pavone: double bass; Matt Mitchell: piano; Tyshawn Sorey: drums.

Mario Pavone, a robust bassist with guts to wing it, returns to the trio format (after the successful Nu Trio and Arc Trio), this time in the company of the pianist Matt Mitchell and the drummer Tyshawn Sorey.
Pavone creates his usual throbbing grooves, often resorting to a shifting, abstract, and yet swinging walking bass, and showing his magnificent sense of tempo. The combustible and frequently disruptive drumming of Sorey follows him everywhere with technique, great style, and a strong purpose of making this trio sound good. And they succeed, also because Mitchell is in the same mood, building silky non-linear textures and exquisite harmonies that are fun to listen to.
Replete of charisma and planned discontinuities, the trio plays eight original compositions by the leader (“Xapo”, “Zines”, “Silver Print”, and “Language” were already recorded on previous albums) and a lucid rendering of “Reflections” by Monk.  
When everyone speaks the same dialect, the communication becomes effortless and fluid. That’s what happens in the homogeneous “Blue Dialect”.

Favorite Tracks:
01 – Suitcase in Savannah ► 02 – Xapo ► 09 – Blue

Tyshawn Sorey - The Inner Spectrum of Variables

Tyshawn Sorey: drums; Cory Smythe: piano; Chris Tordini: bass; Rubin Kodheli: violoncello; Fung Chern Hwei: violin; Kyle Armburst: viola.

The highly in-demand and proficient drummer, Tyshawn Sorey, enriches the sound of his experimental trio, the same that gave us “Alloy” two years ago, with the addition of a resolute trio of strings. 
“The Inner Spectrum of Variables”, a double-disc album that comprises six creative movements and a loose percussive tune, successfully rambles on jazz, classical, avant-garde, and exotic territories, creating several cinematic soundscapes that enthrall and satisfy. Sometimes low-key and minimal, sometimes effusive and intricate, this record gives us a lot to discover. Through his openhanded compositions, Sorey concedes enough space for his peers to express themselves in an erudite way. Smythe, in particular, deserves attention in the way he communicates, proving himself a specialist in the art of creating tension. 
This music breathes at the same time that casts a powerful effect on us.  

Favorite Tracks:
03 (cd1) – Movement III ► 02 (cd2) – Movement IV ► 03 (cd2) – Movement V + VI + Reprise

Renato Diz / Maria Quintanilla - Distance Chemistry

Renato Diz: piano; Maria Quintanilla: vocals.

Recorded in just one take with improvised arrangements, the tunes of “Distance Chemistry” might not be an ideal choice for some intrepid explorers of the contemporary jazz scene, but that doesn’t mean they’re not adventurous in their own style.
Both based in NYC, the emergent and rhythmically bold Portuguese pianist, Renato Diz, and the confident Peruvian singer, Maria Quintanilla, prove to have a beneficial chemistry. In no rare occasions, their musical choices reminded me another duo, Tuck & Patti, in their explorations of diverse styles that not only jazz. Besides a few well-known jazz standards, whose highlight is an uncanny version of “Strange Fruit”, the duo effortlessly incurs into R&B, gospel, and reggae territories with covers of Bill Withers, Jevetta Steele, and Stevie Wonder. However, it was with one of their improvised fantasias entitled “Conversation I” that they impressed me most. The cited piece pulsates with a catchy African feeling and exciting melodic counterpoints.

Favorite Tracks:
01 – Conversation I ► 04 – Strange Fruit ► 07 – Master Blaster

Alan Ferber Nonet - Roots and Transitions

Alan Ferber: trombone; Jon Gordon: alto saxophone; John Ellis: tenor saxophone; Scott Wendholt: trumpet; Shane Endsley: trumpet; Charles Pillow: bass clarinet; Nate Radley: guitar; Bryn Roberts: piano; Matt Clohesy: bass; Mark Ferber: drums.

Alan Ferber, a persuasive trombonist with strong writing skills and modernistic vision, keeps his nonet active since 2005, time when he released the excellent “Scenes From An Exit Row”. The saxophonist John Ellis and the drummer Mark Ferber, Alan’s twin brother, were the ones present in all the recordings of the nonet so far.
The leader sought inspiration on his two-year-old son, Theo, during the first months of his life, and the music conveys a comforting effect, filling our souls with an inebriating musicality that flows with passion and sensitivity.
The surefooted “Roots and Transitions” has a majestic opening with the stately downbeat “Quiet Confidence”, and moves forward providing us other memorable experiences. The edgy “Clocks” features outstanding solos from Jon Gordon and Nate Radley, “Wayfarer” presents a more traditional voice leading and structure, and “Cycles” exhibits a radiating collective improvisation over a motivic idea.

Favorite Tracks:
01 – Quiet Confidence ► 03 – Clocks ► 08 – Cycles