Miroslav Vitous - Music of Weather Report

Miroslav Vitous: double bass, keyboards; Gary Campbell: saxophones; Roberto Bonisolo: saxophones; Aydin Esen: keyboards; Gerald Cleaver: drums; Nasheet Waits: drums.

Czech bassist Miroslav Vitous deftly revitalizes the progressive jazz-fusion of his former band Weather Report, which he co-led with the keyboardist Joe Zawinul and the saxophonist Wayne Shorter during a few years.
The opening track, “Scarlet Woman Variations” leads us to tranquil landscapes surrounded by a placid spirituality, a mood that shifts completely in the more flustered “Seventh Arrow”, where our senses are caught in the provocative rhythm, dazzling keyboard sounds, and the expressiveness of the horns that juxtapose each other with jumpy phrases. 
“Birdland Variations” takes on Report’s “Birdland” from the 1977 album “Heavy Weather”, dropping its playfully cheerful atmosphere in detriment of a more free and abstract approach peppered with strict unisons and frequent rhythmic disruptions set by two of the greatest drummers of our times. 
Shorter’s “Pinocchio” was subjected to a radical treatment by Vitous, who displays his characteristic wha-wha bass sounds, inviting the reedists to embark on the same air bubble.
Truly powerful is “Acrobat Issues” where a saxophone ostinato brightens a funk-rock irruption. Campbell and Bonisolo play in a sort of ecstasy in their improvisations. 
“Scarlet Reflections”, a lyrical and cogitating little piece transmits good energies, just as the last track “Morning Lake”, even if immersed in further abstraction.
Working as interludes, the three parts of the “Multi Dimensional Blues” are also loose collective improvisations.
Vitous continues thinking ahead. Here, he skillfully transforms Weather Report's old repertoire into a fresh and modern jazz album.

Favorite Tracks:
02 – Seventh Arrow ► 04 – Birdland Variations ► 07 – Acrobat Issues

Julian Lage - Arclight

Julian Lage: guitar; Scott Colley: double bass; Kenny Wollesen: drums

Julian Lage is a dauntless guitarist who explores a multitude of possibilities and genres with the same conviction and straightforward attitude. Last year, he delighted us with the album “Room”, recorded in duo with Nels Cline, another electrifying master guitarist who moves in different ways but whose collaboration sounded incredibly impactful. This year, equipped for the first time with a Fender Telecaster, he oriented a wonderful trio that includes the talented Scott Colley on bass and Kenny Wollesen on drums. 
“Fortune Teller” sparks with the guitarist technique and bright sound that works on top of the groovy tapestry weaved by Colley and Wollesen.
Despite of its title, “Persian Rug” takes the shape of a Django’s gypsy jive rather than anything from the Middle East, contrasting in tone and timbre with the easy-on-the-ear folk tune, “Nocturne”, and the little samba, “Supera”, in which Lage continues displaying his refined melodic/harmonic abilities.
While “Activate” is a brief straight-ahead piece that enraptures us with its spells, “Stop Go Start” is delivered as a floating dance swamped in engaging guitar statements, buoyant bass motions, and Wollesen’s outstanding percussion.
Colley comes to the forefront when playing the head’s melody of “Presley”, a mid-tempo waltz that features a thrilling solo by Lage. To confirm his versatility, the guitarist does not only take us to Western landscapes with “Prospero”, which flows at a galloping rhythm, and to the American folk of “Ryland”, but also presents another pervasive standard entitled “I’ll Be Seeing You”.
Fresh, impetuous, and diversified, “Arclight” is a solid fourth album, the first in trio, of a tremendous guitarist who is here to be taken seriously.

Favorite Tracks:
01 – Fortune Teller ► 03 – Nocturne ► 05 – Stop Go Start

Henry Threadgill - Old Locks and Irregular Verbs

Henry Threadgill: composition; Jason Moran: piano; David Virelles: piano; Roman Filiu: alto saxophone; Curtis MacDonald: alto saxophone; Christopher Hoffman: cello; Jose Davila: tuba; Craig Weinrib: drums.

The veteran and Pulitzer-awarded saxophonist, composer, and bandleader, Henry Threadgill keeps on creating art with a unique voice. This time around, surrounded by a brand new band, he has abdicated to play in order to better sculpt the compositions of this record, a tribute to his late fellow composer, conductor, and longtime friend, Lawrence D. “Butch” Morris.
The addition of two pianists instead of guitar, as well as two altoists, gives a different dimension to Threadgill’s layouts.
“Part One” is a 19-minute piece that pretty much follows the leader’s free-form philosophy. After the heartening piano intro, the reeds proceed to a dynamic assault, and the tune leads us to both individual and collective improvisations over the compact and extravagant textures driven by the bass-less rhythm section.
“Part Two” falls in the scope of chamber music, echoing with a devout interaction between cello and tuba. Also, Weinrib doesn’t disappoint when called for a drum solo.
The tones and attitude conveyed in “Part Three” are similar to “Part One”, yet here we have the expansions and contractions of Moran and Virelles’ interplay, which infuse extra colors on an already colorful canvas. The wandering solos from the pair of saxophonists and the mellow tones drawn by Hoffman’s cello are something worthy to indulge in.  
After a four-minute piano intro wrapped in dreamlike tones, “Part Four” becomes increasingly dramatic as it moves forward, carrying mournful intonations that seem wanting to say the last goodbye to Morris.
Different sound, same conception, another Threadgill’s respectful signature.

Favorite Tracks:
01 – Part One ► 03 – Part Three ► 04 – Part Four

Dave Douglas - Dark Territory

Dave Douglas: trumpet; Shigeto: electronics; Jonathan Maron: bass; Mark Guiliana: drums. 

For his new album entitled “Dark Territory”, the versatile trumpeter Dave Douglas reunites the same quartet that conceived the successful “High Risk”, one of the highlights of last year’s jazz releases. Together, they plunge into an inventive electronic music populated by deft ideas that rely on atmospherically jazzy melodies over dusky textures. 
“Celine” is a great opening, incorporating downtempo grooves underneath an assertive melodic speech. Actually, I felt this particular tune wanders more on light rather than dark territories.
A consistent hip-hop beat breaks out from “All The Pretty Horsepower”, where Shigeto’s effects draw darker atmospheres increased by the bandleader’s melodic lines. This menacing undertone is repeated in the intro of “Let's Get One Thing Straight”, which gains an attractive beat enriched by the funky bass drives of Maron and the usage of voice samples.
After the astuteness presented in “Mission Acropolis”, “Ridge Hill” conveys a busy urban feeling through a twitchy pulse. Douglas excels throughout an outstanding solo delivered with intense feeling and adorned with unimpeachable effects. 
“Neural”, marked by a highly syncopated rhythm, is quite surprising as its anatomic variations keep on flowing with rigorous dexterity. Douglas spreads the immensity of his warm sound all over, showing his incredible technique without resorting to any type of fireworks.
Even not reaching the levels of satisfaction of “High Risk”, “Dark Territories” is encircled by this disarming consistency that very much cultivates the fresh experimental current that Douglas resolved to grasp.

Favorite Tracks:
01 – Celine ► 05 – Ridge Hill ► 06 – Neural

Avi Rothbard Trio - City Colors

Avi Rothbard: guitar; Vicente Archer: bass; Darrell Green: drums.

Avi Rothbard, a New York-based, Israeli-born guitarist with a clear and expressive language, releases his fifth album in trio, presenting a few compositions of his own, together with some emblematic songs that were part of his childhood.
The melody in Gerry Rafferti’s “Baker Street”, a widely known soft pop/rock tune from the 70’s, echoes in style and transpires the trio’s confidence and joy while interplaying. 
In “Lawra” we have Archer and Green holding on an encouraging swinging groove while Rothbard’s guitar flows sparsely, letting the music breathe by itself. His improvisation arrives impregnated of catchy motivic figures. 
“Maya’s Waltz” breaks the predominant 4/4-meter and introduces contrasting flavors in a record that also presents “Apache”, an instrumental hit from the 60’s written by Jerry Lordan and popularized by The Shadows, and a less muscled and more groovy homage to Deep Purple’s “Smoke on the Water” in the bluesy “Smoke Screen”. The stereotyped “Before the Noon Comes”, also a blues, doesn’t add much to the record. 
“Bennie and the Jets”, one of Elton John’s highlights, loses its glam-rock outfit in favor of a mid-tempo swinging pace and traditional jazz patterns. In turn, the breezy “See Walk” exhibits an enjoyable melody over the well-drawn bossanova accentuations.
Interweaving past and present, Rothbard, even not sounding particularly innovative, shows solid compositional skills and has the ability to give fresh dimensions to old popular songs.

Favorite Tracks:
03 – Lawra ► 06 – Bennie and the Jets ► 07 – See Walk

Andre Santos Trio - Vitamina D

André Santos: guitar; Matt Adomeit: bass; Tristan Renfrow: drums.

Portuguese guitarist, André Santos, uncompromisingly defies boundaries in his latest CD, “Vitamina D”, recorded in Amsterdam with a trio composed of Matt Adomeit on bass and Tristan Renfrow on drums, both American.
The album has an electrifying opening with “Rainstorm”, a tune that initially suggests patchy drizzle through the soft textures created, but gradually takes the proportions of a menacing deluge that comes accompanied by gusts of distortion and harmonic amazement.
The title-track, on the contrary, brings us balmy sunrays and the fresh air of the morning, aiming to our senses with a tactful melody surrounded by floating tones. Following a gradual crescendo, it goes into an effusive vamp that resounds with vigorous chords and Renfrow’s ebullient drumming.
Santos implies bluesy undertones in “Super Mario”, but goes beyond that. The trio spends some time working the dynamics toward a finale that sets free the adventurous drummer who excels over a guitar-bass ostinato.
“Buzzlightyear” is a short yet rhythmically rich passage that makes the bridge to “Francamente”, an imaginative pop-rock song that skews into a charming waltz during a brief moment, only to return to robust zones and fill our ears with its ear-catching guitar riff.
“BrokeBad” is pure indie rock and benefits from the multiple rhythmic disruptions. I imagine it playing in some dirty Western movie directed by Tarantino. The suave “Espanta Espíritos” closes the album, breathing both warm and melancholic breezes.
You’ll still need the sun to get the vitamin D, however, Santos, who reveals an astounding compositional maturity and a laudable spirit of adventure, assures moments of fun, insight, and energy. 

Favorite Tracks:
01 – Rainstorm ► 02 – Vitamina D ► 05 – Francamente

Jeff Lederer's Brooklyn Blowhards

Jeff Lederer: tenor and soprano saxophones; Petr Cancura: tenor saxophone; Kirk Knuffke: cornet, trumpet; Brian Drye: trombone; Art Bailey: accordion; Gary Lucas: guitar; Matt Wilson: percussion; Allison Miller: percussion; Stephen LaRose: percussion; Mary LaRose: vocals.

Saxophonist Jeff Lederer, a staunch representative of today’s creative jazz, has a new album entitled “Brooklyn Blowhards”, whose interesting concept mixes Albert Ayler’s music, Herman Melville’s “Moby Dick”, and sea shanties, which are a particular type of work songs connected to the sea and shaped mostly as marches and folk songs. The result is a pretty amazing combination of push-pulling cadences that transpire resistance, survival, and spiritual. 
Ayler’s “Bells” starts like a frolicking fanfare just until Lederer’s boisterous solo erupts alongside Bailey’s imperative accordion. “Haul Away Joe”, plays like a hymn and boasts unflinching improvisations. “Dancing Flower” initially suggests a ballad but shifts into a rhythm that easily gets under your skin by bestowing a rich, serpentine locution that comes out of the leader’s soprano sax. 
One of the most impressive tracks is “Black Ball Line” where we have exciting calls-responses by the saxophonists, momentarily interrupted by another effusive popular march. Gary Lucas and Mary LaRose, respectively guitarist and singer, are firstly heard on the strongly folk “Shallow Brown”, a sort of Zappa meets Crosby, Stills, and Nash. 
Both “Santi Anno” and “Hail on the Bowline” are impeccably led by Knuffke’s cornet and propelled by the percussive expansions and contractions created by Wilson and Allison. Before the talkative last tune, a seaman’s hymn, we have “The Language Of Resistance”, a cheerless lamentation professed with fervor and intuition.

Favorite Tracks:
01 – Bells ► 04 – Black Ball Line ► 06 – Santi Anno

Erik Friedlander - Rings

Erik Friedlander: cello; Shoko Nagai: piano, accordion, electronics; Satoshi Takeishi: percussion.

Erik Friedlander is a multifaceted cellist and composer based in New York City who is not afraid of setting foot on different styles and moods. With last year’s “Oscalypso”, recorded with a sturdy quartet (Michael Blake, Trevor Dunn, and Michael Sarin), he made an incursion on pure bop territory with reinterpretations of nine emblematic compositions from the bassist Oscar Pettiford, a confessed influence. “Rings”, in turn, marks a welcoming return to a much more appealing creative freedom, mixing the incantations of the world music, the gallant tones of the modern classical, and the unexpectedness of the avant-garde jazz. 
“The Seducer” is truly a seductive piece that sumptuously takes us to distant worlds through a fulfilling combination of weeping cello, conversational accordion, and the motivating percussion. 
In the contemplative “Black Phebe” I can see a train of camels crossing the desert at the same tranquil pace this song moves. Provocatively playful, “A Single Eye” proves to be suitable for an animated movie. In turn, “Fracture” is an affectionate ballad that transpires sentiment, opposing to “Risky Business”, one of those festive tunes played at Oriental weddings. 
There are a few atmospherically calm tunes that touch the abstract, and one of them, “Canoe”, gets eerie outlines with the addition of electronics. One is able to sing “Small Things”, a cantabile pop tune driven by Friedlander’s plucking cello and filled with Nagai’s melodious accordion. Great is the levitating aura of “Flycatcher”, which features a great cello work by Friedlander peppered by Takeishi’s contagious rhythms, and the rapturous sounds of Nagai, who stands out with a terrific unaccompanied piano solo.

Favorite Tracks:
01 – The Seducer ► 02 – Black Phebe ► 11 – Flycatcher

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