Joshua Redman & Brad Mehldau - Nearness

Joshua Redman: saxophone; Brad Mehldau: piano.

joshua-redman-brad-mehldau-nearness

Only wonderful things could happen when the saxophonist Joshua Redman and the pianist Brad Mehldau, two longtime friends and creative minds of equal caliber, joined forces and let it out what their musical souls contain.
Recorded live during their European tour, Nearness touches an absolute emotional richness and its six duets - three originals and three covers - are to be cherished as real treasures.

This memorable celebration starts with Parker’s “Ornithology”, here transformed into a stylish neo-bop stretch that brings the flavors of the past mixed with a contemporary vision presented in the form of a superior musical wit. 
The mood changes with Mehldau’s “Always August”, a beautiful tune that went straight under my skin, aiming to the heart with all its influential assertiveness. Heavenly piano chords carry a vital, soulful pulse from which is impossible to stay indifferent. Redman is an unconditional giver, fulfilling the spaces with clever melodic delineations while Mehldau is better than ever, lighting up a consistent fire that lasts from the first to the last minute.

If still among us, Thelonious Monk would be certainly grateful for the fantastic rendition of his tune “In Walked Bud”, which boasts distinguished variations. Sporadically, the improvisers throw in fragments of the original’s main theme, permitting us to recognize the tune without falling in the obvious. Mehldau’s piano work attains a perfect balance through the inspiring and complementary sounds extracted by his left and right hands. By the end, the duo embarks on trades of eight, and then four bars, letting me more and more speechless with the coherence of their conversations.

The melancholy insinuated in the title “Mehlsancholy Mode” is only true until a certain point. In truth, I felt more alert than ever, in an attempt to absorb every idea suggested and the prompt responses that arrived from the other side.
Following “The Nearness of You”, a renowned jazz standard played with tasteful intimacy, we have Mehldau’s “Old West” whose pop music connotations are totally appropriate to conclude. This tune insists in cyclic harmonic sequences and unobscured melodies, evolving to irresistible solos that sweep the sky, whether as soft breezes or controlled wind gusts.

Mature, freeing and sophisticated, Nearness is a colossal record that will spin for a long time around here. I hope you can also feel this vibrant nearness that Redman and Mehldau are now sharing with the world.

Favorite Tracks:
02 – Always August ► 03 – In Walked Bud ► 06 – Old West

Charlie Haden Liberation Music Orchestra - Time/Life

Charlie Haden: acoustic bass; Carla Bley: piano, conduction; Tony Malaby: tenor sax; Chris Cheek: tenor sax; Loren Stillman: alto sax; Michael Rodriguez: trumpet; Seneca Black: trumpet; Curtis Fowlkes: trombone; Vincent Chancey: french horn; Joseph Daley: tuba; Steve Cardenas: guitar; Steve Swallow: electric bass; Matt Wilson: drums.

charlie-haden-liberation-music-orchestra-time-life

Charlie Haden, a phenomenal bassist, composer and inveterate activist, is no longer among us to follow the release of this record, the last one under his name. Time/Life (Song for the Whales and other Beings) comprises five tunes that fall under the direction of Carla Bley, co-founder of Haden’s revolutionary and politically charged Liberation Music Orchestra, first appeared in 1969.
The bassist, who died in 2014, only participates in the opening and closing tunes, Miles Davis’ “Blue in Green” and his own original “Song for the Whales”, respectively, which were recorded in Antwerp, Belgium, in 2011. The remaining tracks, all of them Bley's compositions, came to life in two studio recording sessions in the winter of 2015, with Steve Swallow replacing the colossal Haden in the lineup.

The luminous “Blue In Green” is a touching piece that displays all the grandiosity and splendor of Haden’s sound, whether through his sturdy accompaniment or stylish improvisation. A soulful saxophone solo delivered by Chris Cheek consistently intensifies the colors of a canvas already rich in texture and artistic composition. 
Stepping solid ground, “TimeLife” starts up as a pacific march of dreamy intonation. It features a well chewed-up sax improv that, after a few minutes, offers Matt Wilson the lead in order to construct a logic drum solo that gradually summons Bley, Cardenas, and every reedist.
 
The unmistakable woody sound of Swallow’s electric bass introduces “Silent Spring”, in a nostalgic start that shifts to plaintive in the moment when the dramatically orchestrated laments of the Orchestra arise. Bley, cleverly taking advantage of the horns, doubles the tempo for an energetic trumpet improvisation.
Fowlkes and Cardenas are responsible for taking the initial steps in the weeping “Utviklingssang”, which soars with a calm expressiveness before entering into another march pumped by an untamable snare drum.  
Bowing the acoustic bass, Haden peppers his “Song for the Whales” at the same time that calls for an effusive intervention by Tony Malaby, who brings Gato Barbieri’s blistering tonalities into play.

This is an impactful swan song from a visionary bass legend whose perspicacity goes beyond just music. The importance of the whales, all the living creatures, and the beauty of the universe were also there.

Favorite Tracks:
01 – Blue in Green ► 03 – Silent Spring ► 05 – Song for the Whales

ARS Trio - Poetics of Sight

Renato Diz: piano; Sergio Tavares: double bass; Jorge Queijo: drums, percussion.

ARS Trio is a darkly twisted experimental Portuguese project composed of Renato Diz on piano, Sergio Tavares on double bass, and Jorge Queijo on drums and percussion.
Despite the plans regarding this project had started in 2009, only recently the band members have reunited in Portugal to record their debut album, Poetics of Sight, strongly influenced by film and released on the W&J Productions, a new record label from New York.
Using imaginative techniques and resorting to unconventional sounds, the trio breaks the barriers of jazz music and steps on cinematic territories, illustrating sceneries that are simultaneously frightening, hypnotic, and curious.

“In The Beginning It Wasn't Just The Word...”, a slow-cooked 20-minute piece enveloped in mystic auras, uncovers the empirical strategy adopted for the album. An imperturbable melodic idea is considered as a point of departure and everything keeps revolving around it. Repetitive piano notes, whose main purpose is to build tension, together with an excellent interactive posture between bass and drums, enrich the concept. The beautiful minimalism resultant from this teamwork may speak louder than the chord progression of a Gershwin’s rhythm changes.
Tunes such as “Oneiric”, “Continuous Exhale”, and “Jumped Lamb” throw in unbent piano melodies and textures, passing a sensation of movement despite the minimal changes they are subjected to.

The first minutes of “The Mechanic of Things” can be quite disturbing due to the ominous sounds retrieved from the next big horror movie. The nature of such noises made me think of a freaky puppet show that gradually evolves into an unflinching danceable ritual where Diz’s attacks get prompt responses from Queijo.
A similar practice of elevated fluency can be enjoyed in the last section of “Unrequited Limbo”, an outlandish piece that drastically becomes brilliantly percussive. Different from all the other pieces, the short “Moorish” feels like an organic conjunction between a distorted Portuguese fado and Middle Eastern throbs.

ARS Trio reveals mastery in shaping sonic contortions that draw mystery and uneasiness. Only open-minded creators are capable of feeling so comfortable within these atmospheres, where everything is strange and yet nothing is out of place.

Favorite Tracks:
01 – In The Beginning It Wasn't Just The Word ► 03 – The Mechanic of Things ► 07 – Moorish

Satoko Fujii / Joe Fonda - Duet

Satoko Fujii: piano; Joe Fonda: double bass.

satoko-fujii-joe-fonda-duet

Duet is a very gratifying artistic collaboration between the inventive Japanese pianist Satoko Fujii, a freethinker who feels equally comfortable playing solo and conducting an experimental big band, and the categorical American bassist Joe Fonda, whose intense, unclouded sound made him be Anthony Braxton’s first choice for many years. These two references of the avant-garde jazz scene had only met once before recording live in 2015. 
Aware of their fabulous capabilities to create astonishing sonorities, I wasn’t surprised a bit with the brutal cohesion and communicative freedom achieved during this communion.

The album comprises just a couple of tunes, kicking in with the 37-minute piece “Paul Bley”, dedicated to the masterful pianist mentioned in the title. It takes us on a challenging journey of multiple sectional changes and explorative excursions where we can still have a glimpse of the honoree’s music. The artists are in absolute command of texture, timbre, and musical precision.
Amidst tangents and difficult oblique approaches, the pair has also embarked on a few moments of melodic clarity. Not scarcely, Fujii’s entangled piano sounds dance around Fonda’s sharp plucks and thumps, creating a propelling harmony that claims to be running forever, as the water of a river. It eventually breaks into a stinging tension or a vague silence after a while. Sometimes the sounds can be pretty metallic and rusty, especially when Fujii scratches the strings of the piano and exchanges rhythmic ideas with Fonda who nods to the ping-ponged flurries. In the next minute, the mood can be so dreamy, vague, and docile that you could imagine yourself eating cotton candy in front of an old, colored carousel, somewhere in your childhood.

Disparity doesn’t mean lack of unity, and all the different passages, some of them strategically percussive, demonstrate a vastly committed duo in their buoyant interactions full of humor and vitality.
“JSN”, featuring the guest trumpeter Natsuki Tamura, conveys a complete understanding between the musicians, who know what they want and what they’re doing. This exquisite ride takes you to contemplative, turbulent, phantasmagoric, and slightly oriental wonderlands. 

Flourishing with creative intuition and boasting an impeccable execution, Duet unreservedly explores the powerful musical spectrums of Fujii and Fonda, in a beautiful intersection.

Favorite Tracks:
01 – Paul Bley ► 02 – JSN

Nick Sanders & Logan Strosahl - Janus

Nick Sanders: piano; Logan Strosahl: tenor and alto saxophones.

nick-sanders-logan-strosahl-janus

Pianist Nick Sanders and saxophonist Logan Strosahl have more than a decade playing together and the unwavering chemistry they’ve gained throughout the years can be heard in Janus, an album that embraces originals and inventive renditions in a wide range of styles.

The modern lyricism of Sanders’s “Sigma”, the opening tune, had a character of Mega Man video game series as inspiration. It sets a combination of flowing piano instrumentations and wondrous saxophone melodies, evoking the Jarrett-Garbarek approach of the 70s. Enchanting rhythmic variations gain even more purpose when Strosahl injects a salutary irreverence while improvising.
Strosahl’s cantabile Baroque piece “Allemande” and “Mazurka”, a lucid waltz, bring classical discernment to the table, yet differing from Machaut’s “Rose, Liz, Printemps, Verdure”, a pastoral 14th-Century composition that invites us to a stroll in bucolic sceneries.

The versatile duo effortlessly incurs into jazz in its traditional and contemporary forms. If “Thelonious” wakes up our senses with the most emblematic musical features of Monk and “Be Bop Tune” does justice to its title, then the passionate “Old Folks” and the pacific “Stardust” unblinkingly flow through the power of its chord progressions, assuming their jazz-standard natures.
In the title track, a noteworthy composition that relies on impressive interactions, they opt to entwine the fluidity of the bebop language with more abstract short sections. An enviable cohesiveness is found as we indulge ourselves in rhythmic motifs and super attractive swinging streams built from the agility of Sanders’ left hand.
Bursting with color and exhibiting a great musical unity, Olivier Messiaen’s “Vingt Regards Sur L’Enfant Jesus”, is an incredible, expansive, and voluble exercise that instantly captivates, triggering the eruption of multiple emotions and sensations.

The recurrent voyages into the past offered in Janus don’t hamper it from moving in an appealing contemporary current that fills our ears with flawless technique and modern refinement. Intellectually stimulating, this past/present accomplishment unveils a duo of enormous quality.

Favorite Tracks:
01 – Sigma ► 09 – Selections From Vingt Regards Sur L’Enfant Jesus ► 10 – Janus

Snaggle - The Long Slog

Graeme Wallace: tenor sax; Max Forster: trumpet; Nick Maclean: Rhodes, organ, synth; Mike Murray: guitar; Doug Moore: bass; Tom Grosset: drums + Brownman Ali: trumpet.

Snaggle-Long-Slog

The music of Snaggle, a fruitful sextet based in Toronto, translates into mature compositions and stupendous executions. The members of the band, virtuosos in their respective instruments, resort to a laudable sense of unity and superior taste to creatively orchestrate the nine pieces of The Long Slog, their sophomore feature album.

“Snaggle #7” brings us lots of fun through a riveting electro-jazz-funk that consistently alternates between smooth and powerful. In this track, the horn players showed improvisational acuity, and Mike Murray’s guitar sound was particularly appealing to my ears in its mixed hard-rock and jazz incursions.
“Sad Ritual” starts introspectively but doesn’t remain too long in that state. The initial wailing slides into an energetic rock where the super-active drummer, Tom Grosset, shows how he combines speed with accuracy.
Breezy and smooth modulations adorn “Tree Assassin”, which proudly distribute several catchy grooves outlined by organ, bass, and drums. This plot serves to support strong solos that never felt strained or misplaced.
“Theorum” is a thrilling, up-tempo tune that features the trumpet of Brownman Ali, an illustrious guest whose fluidity of language is remarkable. He found solid ground in the spunky, forceful movements of the rhythm section.

A penetrating wha-wha plays a crucial role in “SAW”, a mutant exercise that lives from surprising effects. Polished jazzy melodies blend with more aggressive bass lines inspired by Rage Against The Machine, while keyboardist Nick Maclean shows his gripping musicality.
Murray’s tuneful guitar, interplaying with Ali’s trumpet, is decisive to wrap “Lagaan” in a relaxing crossover jazz that slightly makes a turn in the direction of a danceable orgy of R&B and avant-jazz-funk. Here, the band members build up a crescendo, using their skills and expertise to deliver an overpowering finale.
The title track closes the album, leaving traces of rock, jazz and funk in the air.
 
The Long Slog inherited the same power and straightforwardness of Snaggle’s members who were capable of rendering a burnin’ hot fusion inclined to explore an infinity of possibilities within the same composition. In a certain moment they’re confronting Miles Davis with Medeski Martin & Wood; in the other, you may find the Red Hot Chili Peppers colliding with Incognito or Mahavishnu Orchestra.

Favorite Tracks:
01 – Snaggle #7 ► 07 – SAW ► 08 – Lagaan

Frank Kimbrough - Solstice

Frank Kimbrough: piano; Jay Anderson: bass; Jeff Hirshfield: drums.

Frank Kimbrough - Solstice

Frank Kimbrough is a fulfilling pianist, a precious element of the New York jazz scene, who deserves the accolade for his musical capabilities, shown both as a bandleader and sideman. His influences range from Keith Jarrett and Bill Evans to Paul Bley and Andrew Hill. Recognized bandleaders such as Maria Schneider, Dewey Redman, Michael Blake, Ted Nash, and Ben Allison, with whom he co-led the Herbie Nichols Project, elevated his pianistic talents within their own projects.
Solstice, Kimbrough’s first album on Pirouet after a longtime association with Palmetto, adopts the introspective moods of the Bill Evans trio as it explores the music of composers such as Maria Schneider, Annette Peacock, Andrew Hill, George Gershwin, Carla Bley, Paul Motian, and Maryanne de Prophetis.

Bley’s “Seven”, a pensive ballad that offers us a quasi-soluble melody over complacent, simplistic textures was the chosen tune to open the album. 
The next move is no less than bewildering: “Here Come the Honey Man” is a Gershwin tune that doesn’t sound like Gershwin. The imminent electricity of Hirshfield’s cymbal work, together with Anderson’s encouraging bass lines, enriches the bandleader’s strong harmonic passages and contemplative lyricism.
The title track, composed by de Prophetis is a sluggish, dreamlike 3/4-meter piece that features Anderson’s bass solo.

With drums and bass solos right after the head as a special attraction, Motian’s “The Sunflower” reclines in the abstraction while Kimbrough’s unique composition, “Question’s the Answer”, is one of the most satisfying. It moves at a reverberant 6/8 time, guaranteeing inquisitiveness and expressiveness in considerable proportions. Clearly, the trio was more concerned with the overall sound they may extract than with any type of individual ride.
The recording’s couple last tunes deserve to be mentioned for their intensity and powerful interplay. “El Cordobes”, composed by Annette Peacock, was assembled with an incisive groove at the base, involving us with the stirring vibes poured from the interesting rhythmic and melodic ideas generated. Maria Schneider’s sweet ballad “Walking by Flashlights” opposes to the latter tune by irradiating warmth and serenity. 

The untroubled condition in Solstice invites us to meditate, suggesting tolerance as it breathes comfortably at every note. It describes mostly peaceful atmospheres as it attempts to convey that the world and we are seen as one. This is a ruminative work that the ones looking for quality would be content to discover…

Favorite Tracks:
06 – Question’s the Answer ► 07 – El Cordobes ► 09 – Walking by Flashlights

Brian Shankar Adler - Mysteries of the Deep

Matt Moran: vibraphone; Santiago Leibson: piano; Jonathan Goldberger: guitar; Rob Jost: bass; Brian Shankar Adler - drum set, ghatam.

Brian Shankar Adler - Mysteries of the Deep

The open-minded drummer and composer, Brian Shankar Adler, opts to release “Mysteries of the Deep” on EP format.

Highly influenced by Indian music, Adler and his peers open with “Mantra”, a gripping and solidly crafted exercise that lets us in a state of delightful ecstasy. Layered by multiple melodic threads that include lachrymose guitar phrases and resolute vibes, the tune flows at the sound of a danceable rhythm defined by Rob Jost’s buoyant bass groove and Adler’s aerodynamic pulse.
An ethereal tranquility envelops us during “Windy Path”, an affectionate musical cadence that finishes in style with Adler playing gatham, one of the most ancient percussion instruments of South India. 

The light atmosphere changes completely in “Pulses”, whose relentless pulsation, dark guitar sounds, and vibraphone counterpoints create a wandering sense of unease. A sudden calmness invades when Jost starts bowing his acoustic bass, allowing us to get lost in the immensity of the outer space.
“Rudram”, a special prayer chanted to Lord Rudra (Shiva), is delivered with both festive and liberating tones after a ruminative intro. A couple of momentary meditative disruptions, highlighting beautiful piano chords and soaring vibes, don’t refrain the quintet of embarking on a jubilant spin that harmoniously combines elements of jazz, funk, Indian music, and rock. 

“Mysteries of the Deep” boasts an impactful sonorous aesthetic and its only sin is being short on tracks and duration. 
Adler’s work probes assorted sounds, cultures, and genres in an effective way.

Favorite Tracks:
01 – Mantra ► 04 – Rudram

Joshua Breakstone - 88

Joshua Breakstone: guitar; Lisle Atkinson: bass; Mike Richmond: cello; Andy Watson: drums.

Joshua Breakstone - 88

Bebop-based guitarist Joshua Breakstone, together with his Cello Quartet, releases 88 (the number of keys on a standard piano) on Capri Records, an album that pays tribute to the pianists of the world. This is a positive follow-up to “2nd Avenue” that came out a couple of years ago under the same label.
It’s curious how these dedicated musicians embrace pure bebop, in an era where we find a wide range of possibilities in terms of new sounds, fusion, and electronics.

The bop feast starts with Harold Mabern’s “The Chief”, which shows how fluent is the language of Mr. Breakstone within this particular style. Trading fours come up amidst well-defined melodic lines played in unison by guitar and cello. 
Sonny Clarke’s “News For Lulu” is respectably rendered by the use of a Latin pulse in its A section and a robust swing in the B.
“Black”, a Cedar Walton’s composition, is definitely one of the highlights of the record, displaying a fine guitar solo packed with inspired rhythmic motifs and evoking widely known melodies such as Gershwin's “Summertime”.

The melody of “Hocus-Pocus”, creation of the great trumpeter Lee Morgan, is suggested in the bandleader’s solo of his original composition, the convivial “Eighty-Eight”, which completely fits in the same bag of the remaining tunes, featuring consonant improvisations by Mike Richmond on cello, and Lisle Atkinson on bass.
A relentless Latin cadence is adopted in Barry Harris’ “Lolita”, contrasting with “Soul Eyes” by Mal Waldron and “If You Could See Me Now” by Todd Dameron, ballads softly propelled by Andy Watson’s fine brushwork.

Despite the clichéd patterns, there’s passion in the quartet’s interplay. I kind of enjoyed re-listening to some of these glorious tunes. They will certainly bring joyful moments to the bebop devotees.

Favorite Tracks:
02 – News For Lulu ► 03 – Black ► 05 – Eighty-Eight

Ron Stabinsky - Free For One

Ron Stabinsky: piano.

Ron Stabinsky - Free For One

Ron Stabinsky, a pianist from Pennsylvania who likes to extemporize, releases his debut solo album Free for One on Hot Cup Records.
Adaptable, Stabinsky has been highly influential in successful projects such as Most Other People Do the Killing and Peter Evans Quintet.
For this recording, he comes equipped with impeccable technique and artistic power, presenting eight solo piano improvisations from 2015.

When the notes of “…After It’s Over” started to echo, I had the impression I would be taken somewhere surrounded by magic and mystery. The pianist’s articulated, and somewhat somber textures came to life from a nuanced blend of neo-classical and avant-jazz.
The cathartic “31” goes right to the gut. The pianist’s rapid right-hand attacks are counterpointed with the lightness of the low notes on his left hand. Everything is bundled in complexity. 
“Viral Infection” moves between Cecil Taylor and Monk, unveiling rhythmic ideas that eventually surprise. It differs from the puzzling four-minute meditation “Gone Song”, as well as from “For Reel”, the avant-garde twin of Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Flight of the Bumblebee”.

The longest track of the record is “Not Long Now/Long Now”, which presents a multitude of variations and moods after taking us to the imposing “Rapture”, a blow of animated, and sometimes disperse piano chops.
The unagitated “Once, But Again” is the recording’s last piece and the most accessible one, detaching from any complexity and diving deliberately into agreeable jazzy waters. 

Adopting a freewheeling attitude, Free to One is limited to audiences whose ears are receptive to infinite explorations. If you’re an explorer yourself, you’ll certainly find something to admire throughout these very personal divagations.

Favorite Tracks: 
01 – … After It’s Over ► 03 – Viral Infection ► 08 – Once, But Again

Adam O'Farrill - Stranger Days

Adam O’Farrill: trumpet; Chad Lefkowitz-Brown: tenor saxophone; Walter Stinson: bass; Zack O’Farrill: drums.

Adam O'Farrill - Stranger Days

Young and extremely talented, Adam O’Farrill is a modern jazz trumpeter from Brooklyn, NY, who comes from a lineage of marvelous musicians. His father, the widely known Cuban pianist, composer, and bandleader Arturo O’Farrill, has all the reasons to be proud of a son who, at the age of 21, has collaborated with Rudresh Mahanthappa, Vijay Iyer, Ambrose Akinmusire, Joe Lovano, and more recently Stephan Crump’s Rhombal.
For this recording, Adam had the company of his brother Zack on drums, Chad Lefkowitz-Brown on tenor saxophone, and Walter Stinson on bass.

Outlined for quartet, Stranger Days was pretty much influenced by film and theater. Each tune attempts to paint a scene whose variable natures are somehow connected.
Sturdy and concise, the 6/8 “A & R Italian Eatery” relies on precise unisons and simultaneous improvisations, while the rhythm section flows through a fleet-footed bass and elegant brush drumming. 
“The Stranger”, inspired by Albert Camus’ novel, is one of the strongest tunes of the record, starting with Adam’s intro and evolving into a beautifully melancholic march that alternates with passionate swinging passages. The effective improvisations succeed one another with color and feeling.
Highlighting Stinson's basswork and Zack's dry drumming, “Survival Instincts” appears as an awkwardly disconcerting dance that gets epic contours. It opposes to the simplicity of movements revealed in Stinson’s “Why She Loves”. 

“Alligator Got the Blues” is another high point, showcasing a leisurely-paced introductory section before exploring alternative beats with a strong foundation in rock music. The mood is animated and the horns’ feast is no less vibrating.
Melodic repetition seems to have a purpose in “Forget Everything You’ve Learned at School”, contrasting with “Building the Metamorphosen Bridge”, which deals with a curious rhythmic complexity as it privileges interaction. “The Cows and Their Farm Walt”, stepping on a scenic ground, precedes the album's last tune, “Lower Brooklyn Botanical Union”, a contrafact of Billy Strayhorn’s “UMMG” that mixes bop and post-bop elements.

In this wonderful debut as a bandleader, Adam O’Farrill shows off all his qualities both in composition and arrangements. Because modernity in jazz is not always synonym of weird sounds, Stranger Days can be simply described as accessible freshness for our ears.

Favorite Tracks: 
01 – A & R Italian Eatery ► 02 – The Stranger ► 05 – Alligator Got the Blues

Stephan Crump - Stephan Crump's Rhombal

Ellery Eskelin: tenor saxophone; Adam O’Farrill: trumpet; Stephan Crump: acoustic bass; Tyshawn Sorey: drums.

Stephan Crump - Rhombal

Stephan Crump, an extraordinary bassist/composer of great sophistication, puts together a brand new quartet whose freshness, robustness and creativity are to be praised. 
Rhombal showcases a two-horn frontline composed of Ellery Eskellin on tenor saxophone and Adam O’Farrill on trumpet, and a persuasive rhythm section with Crump and the drummer Tyshawn Sorey. They integrate funky grooves and avant-garde artistry in a fascinating way.

“NoD for Nelson” makes a strong entrance. The initial vamp boasts a gracing urban groove that consistently supports the reedists’ work, whether playing in unison or individually. If the ingenious young O’Farrill stands out on this opening tune, the astute Eskelin is impressive in “Grovi”, which gently flows with its laid-back posture and luscious melodies. It also shows a pretty active Sorey, who enriches the scenario with delicious and insightful percussive details.
With the frolicking “Skippaningam”, it’s time for a slice of hard-bop at full speed, all enveloped in a swinging mood that eventually shifts to more exploratory territories during the sax-trumpet improvisational rite. 
“Loose Bay” captivates through enigmatic undertones. Crump’s occasional bowed bass intensifies the atmosphere while O’Farrill and Eskelin deliver beseeching and steadfast solos, respectively.

A danceable funk-rock returns with “Eskima Dream”, vigorously delineated by the obliging rhythm section and adorned with terrific horn unisons and counterpoints. 
“How Close Are You”, a dainty ballad of complacent melody, opposes to the confidently swinging “Tschi”, just before we get to “Birdwhistle”, the only tune exceeding ten minutes long, which levitates with a sort of hiccupped melodic phrases. Crump’s fluidity and tempo, together with Sorey’s combustible drumming, weave an exciting foundation for the improvisers. Throughout Eskelin’s raucous solo, the tune plunges into avant-garde territory before returning to the groovy head.
The enchanting “Pulling Pillars-Outro for Patty” closes the cycle in a well-marked 6/8 time signature.

Expeditious yet never aggressive, Rhombal makes its moves with perseverance, unity, and self-expression. This collective accomplishment is already in the competition for the grooviest album of the year.

Favorite Tracks: 
01 – NoD for Nelson ► 02 – Grovi ► 08 – Birdwhistle

Anna Webber's Simple Trio - Binary

Anna Webber: tenor saxophone, flute; Matt Mitchell: piano; John Hollenbeck: drums.

Anna Webber Simple Trio - Binary

Anna Webber, a genuine Brooklynite reedist, reconvenes the Simple Trio - Matt Mitchell on piano and John Hollenbeck on drums - and releases Binary, her second album of originals on Skirl Records.
Focusing on a strong collective improvisational concept, Webber and her valuable peers often exercise in tension and release, building up intense musical moments and avoiding conventional approaches or structures.

A provocative, dark-hued exaltation can be felt in “Impulse Purchase”, a tune that constantly balances the light and the heavy, the thoughtful and the impulsive, the contemplation and the action. It starts with Webber’s serpentine saxophone phrases, which are joined by the broken comping of Mitchell, a master in the harmonic deconstruction, and the urgent vitality of Hollenbeck’s exciting drumming. The trio gradually galvanizes energies toward the end.
In “Underhelmed”, Hollenbeck finds his way into a muscled rock, while Mitchell remains devoted to his philosophy of generating breathtaking harmonic passages brewed up together with giddy rhythmic intentions. Webber, in turn, holds onto a state of intense melodic-rhythmic creativity. The tune’s energy switches on our body movements for a spasmodic dance.

The compositional nature of “Tug O’ War” and the choice of flute, calls Henry Threadgill to the scenario. Yet, the reinforcement of the iterative musical ideas translated into an organic compound of sounds is reminiscent of Hollenbeck’s Claudia Quintet’s explorations. After the storm, the trio slows down for a sober finale.
The title track, alternating between mournful and effusive, starts to be shaped with the help of Mitchell’s melancholic piano textures, the dark timbre of Webber’s beseeching saxophone, and Hollenbeck’s alert brushwork. The inherent tension initially created is widely expanded as the tune moves forward, bringing us short, and often surprising, rhythmical transmutations and mood discrepancies.
Scattered throughout the record, six energizing short tracks named “Rectangle” share similar melodic patterns, cyclic harmonic progressions, and relentless rhythms.

A fervent freedom can be felt in Binary, an avant-garde vessel that navigates among ripe ideas and pugnacious sounds.

Favorite Tracks: 
02 – Impulse Purchase ► 05 – Underhelmed ► 08 – Binary

Matthew Shipp Trio - Piano Song

Matthew Shipp: piano; Michael Bisio: bass; Newman Taylor Baker: drums.

Matthew Shipp Trio - Piano Song

JazzTrail had the privilege to listen to Matthew Shipp’s luminous new album, Piano Song, to be released on January 27, 2017. Recorded in trio with the bassist Michael Bisio and the drummer Newman Taylor Baker, this will be Matthew’s last record on the Thirsty Ear label. These groundbreaking musicians display a tremendous sound as they continue to embrace hypnotic textures within an idiosyncratic universe.

Shipp’s elegant solo piano captivates in the solemn “Links”, the opening tune, while “Cosmopolitan” brings Miles Davis’ “So What” to mind through Bisio’s evocative bass line and Shipp’s suggestive melodies. Both the bassist and the drummer had the opportunity to express themselves individually here, as well as in the piano-less “Scrambled Brain”. 
Baker’s swell hip-hop beats stand out in the memorable “Flying Carpet”, which erupts gradually into an upheaval as Shipp increases tension through his vehement playing. A similar impetuosity is put on the kinetic “Gravity Point”, a loud, rhythmic extravaganza that may take your feet off the ground.

Functional minimalism is associated with titles such as “Blue Desert” and “Void on”, opposing to “Mind Space”, which invites us to another hallucinating trip into the abstract. 
Even distinct in nature, the exclamatory “Micro Wave” and the wandering “The Nature of”, have motivational energies in common. The former, blossoming as an extravagant march filled with complex melodic replicas, while the latter boasts a piano soliloquy that fills our ears with great, unobvious melodies. 
The album culminates with the title track, in which a solo piano gently pushes us into an imperturbable serenity.
 
Matthew Shipp Trio will open the New Year spreading magical moments of grandiose musicality. 
Piano Song is an album to get lost in; a bottomless well of impactful creativity and divine inspiration that consolidates Shipp as a forward-thinker with a radiant, unique voice. 

Favorite Tracks: 
02 – Cosmopolitan ► 05 – Flying Carpet ► 07 – Micro Wave

Mark Dresser Seven - Sedimental You

Nicole Mitchell: soprano and alto flutes; Marty Ehrlich: clarinet and bass clarinet; David Morales Boroff: violin; Michael Dessen: trombone; Joshua White: piano; Mark Dresser: bass; Jim Black: drums.

Mark Dresser - Sedimental You

The experienced American bassist Mark Dresser, who has worked in the past with modern-creative luminaries such as Anthony Braxton, Tim Berne, and John Zorn, continues serving up astounding original music. “Sedimental You” only reinforces the idea that he's a giant of the avant-garde jazz scene.

To start, let me tell you that the accentuated and contrapuntal “Hobby Lobby Horse” is a magnificently orchestrated overture that balances stamina and charm through its unconventional grooves, tortuous tempos, regular disruptions, and witty improvisations. Every peer had the opportunity to speak their souls, stirring different emotions and generating an intricate complexity that is more enriching than puzzling.
Everything stated above is brought to the title track, an abstract ten-minute rendition of the jazz standard “I’m Getting Sentimental Over You”, here infused with metric modulations and a myriad of odd sounds. 
The expressionistic trades of the politically-charged “TrumpinPutinStoopin” first gains foundation through the intelligible textures created by piano, bass, and drums. At some point, the texture thickens as the horns and strings intensify its manifestations, adding extra color.

Ravishingly beautiful is “Will Well”, a melodic incantation dedicated to the respected 80-year-old trombonist Roswell Rudd, which starts as an ensemble chant before taking the form of a spiritual prayer led by piano and bowed bass. The trio's devotional harmonic cycles extract the best of Ehrlich and Mitchell, whose controlled discourses are followed by the young Boroff's more outgoing approach on the violin. All is gratifying and compatible. 
Inspired by memories of the late singer Alexandra Montana, “I Can Smell You Listening” spreads scented chamber sounds over the air while working as a receptacle for eloquent improvisations and rhythmic disturbances.
In turn, Dresser sought inspiration in darker places for “Newton Char” - the mass shootings in Newton and Charleston. This composition, engulfed in unpredictable clouds, boasts perplexing solos by all the magnificent seven, under a propelling bass-drums groove. This dashing posture heavily contrasts with the closing tune, a short chamber piece named “Two Handfuls of Peace”, composed in honor of the saxophonist, pianist, and composer Daniel Jackson.

Incredibly adventurous without discarding the rigor of the written material, this is Dresser’s best record in years. Indeed, it's a thought-provoking body of work.

Favorite Tracks: 
01 – Hobby Lobby Horse ► 04 – Will Well (for Roswell Rudd) ► 06 – Newton Char

Mehmet Ali Sanlikol & Whatsnext? - Resolution

Lineup features: Mehmet Ali Sanlikol: conduction and multiple instruments; Dave Liebman: soprano saxophone; Anat Cohen: clarinet; Tiger Okoshi: trumpet: Antonio Sanchez: drums.

Mehmet Ali Sanlikol - Resolution

Turkish-born Mehmet Ali Sanlikol, a Grammy-nominated composer, vocalist, arranger, and multi-instrumentalist based in Boston, has been getting wide recognition through his palpitating fusion of modern jazz and world music. 
His new installment with the project Whatsnext?, whose new additions include Dave Liebman, Anat Cohen, Tiger Okoshi and Antonio Sanchez, is now out and fully grown to conquer more listeners. 
Sanlikol demonstrates his true value when he puts together a 13-piece jazz combo and a 17-piece big band, and makes them sound amazingly articulated.

The opening title, “The Turkish 2nd Line”, is a glorious concoction that besides Ottoman influences has the New Orleans scene in perspective. Driven by electric guitar and embellished by the horns, it makes transitions into funk, reggae, and a pleasurable swinging jazz that serves as a vehicle for Anat Cohen’s dashing improvisation on clarinet.
 “A Dream in Nihavend” is an appealing vocalized lament conducted by sparse piano harmonies, but Sanlikol’s sublime compositional character and stylistic vision are much more in evidence throughout the three-part “Concerto for Soprano Saxophone and Jazz Orchestra in C”. The first part, “Rebellion” is a medium funk shuffle that expands its horizons by stepping onto a catchy crossover jazz; the part two, entitled “Reminiscence”, is a soulful ballad that flows serenely at the sound of Mr. Liebman’s delightful melodies while occasionally exhibiting guitar/piano fillings; and the part three runs up-tempo and swings with aplomb.
In turn, “The Niyaz Suite” is subdivided into two movements. The first savors the eminent Antonio Sanchez exhibiting his consistent drumming skills, just before a floating dance of woodwinds takes the lead. The stimulating second one works as a showcase for the trumpeter Tiger Okoshi who draws a portentous solo.

Filled with intoxicating driving pulses, exotic timbres, and film noir music influences, these nine eclectic and well-orchestrated pieces are Resolution, a powerful and urgent album.

Favorite Tracks: 
01 – The Turkish 2nd Line ► 05 – Reminiscence ► 08 – An Afro Semai

Guillermo Klein - Los Guachos V

Guillermo Klein: piano; Bill McHenry: tenor saxophone; Chris Cheek: soprano, tenor and baritone saxophones; Miguel Zenon: alto saxophone; Diego Urcola: trumpet, trombone; Richard Nant: trumpet; Sandro Tomasi: trombone; Taylor Haskins: trumpet; Ben Monder: guitar; Fernando Huergo: electric bass; Jeff Ballard: drums.

Argentine-born Guillermo Klein is not merely a refined pianist but also a magnificent composer, arranger, and bandleader. In addition to these talents, he only hires musicians of superior quality to be part of his projects.
Los Guachos, an 11-piece ensemble project that has been active since 1999, has its fifth album released on the Sunnyside Records. 
“Los Guachos V” interweaves postmodern jazz and modern classical, but Klein also throws in elements of Argentinean folklore to pepper his well-seasoned dishes.
The album, relying on the concepts of symmetries, patterns, and variations, is composed of two suites and two loose ballads that completely fit in the process.
Klein initiates this journey with the sophisticated three-piece suite entitled Indiana, which includes a hopping and uncompromising interpretation of Miles Davis’ “Donna Lee”, in an arrangement populated with profuse rhythmic counterpoints and featuring Chris Cheek on the baritone sax.
The following 7 tunes are portions of the rich Suite Jazmin whose symmetric ends are precisely entitled “Symmetry I” and “Symmetry II”. In the middle, we are pushed into memorable places with “Si No Sabes”, in its variations of 4/4 and in 9/8, and two 'mirrors' of Klein’s previous compositions: the hypnotically languid “Burrito Hill”, first recorded for the album “Carrera”, and the stylized “Human Feel”, a piece retrieved from “Bienestan”, an album co-led by Klein and Aaron Goldberg. Only Ben Monder and Diego Urcola had green light to improvise. All the rest is pure teamwork.
The album closes with two resplendent ballads - Andrew Hill’s little-known “Ashes” is a 19-bar form that saw the daylight in Greg Osby’s “Invisible Hands”, while Klein’s “Quemando Velas” is a touching piece layered with harmonious sounds.
“Los Guachos V” is a magical record that unveils the art of reinventing jazz today with insight and finesse. Guillermo Klein, an erudite visionary, is the man to follow.

Favorite Tracks: 
02 – Donna Lee ► 05 – Si No Sabes 4/4 ► 07 – Burrito Hill Mirror

Steve Lehman & Sélébeyone - Sélébeyone

Steve Lehman: alto saxophone; Gaston Bandimic: vocals; HPrizm: vocals; Maciek Lasserre: soprano saxophone; Carlos Homs: piano, keyboards; Drew Gress: acoustic bass; Damion Reid: drums.

The remarkable alto saxophonist Steve Lehman is always immersed in interesting projects, whether under his own name or working as a sideman. 
Last year he delighted us with “Mise en Abime”, recorded with his first-class octet, and did a great job in Liberty Ellman’s “Radiate”. Now he embraces a different adventure, holding on a septet that fuses modern jazz and underground hip-hop. This wasn’t really a surprise for me, since in 2005, Lehman had incurred into more explorative beats, electronics, and turntables in “Demian as a Posthuman”. 
For the Sélébeyone project, he teams up with the rappers Gaston Bandimic and HPrizm, who sing in Wolof and English, respectively, and also with the soprano saxophonist Maciek Lasserre, who composed four of the nine tunes. The rhythm section, so fundamental in this urban environment, was entrusted to jazz diggers such as the surprising keyboardist Carlos Holms, who worked with Peter Evans in “Ghosts”, the exemplary bassist Drew Gress, and the exciting drummer, Damion Reid.
“Laamb” opens with a confident attitude, drawing a relentless hip-hop groove decorated with a piano ostinato. The cadenced lyrics are uttered in two different languages while Lehman improvises in his precise, twitchy style.
Both Lehman and Lasserre intercalate their sounds in “Are You in Peace?”, first in unison and then splitting up for another jolt by the altoist. Holms injects keyboard eerie sounds at some point while Gress and Reid remain irreproachable in their drive. This incredible synchronization continues to stand out in tunes such as “Origine”, which causes apprehension through the keyboard effects, and “Cognition”, where Lehman leads the way by throwing in numerous questions and exclamations, pushing Lasserre to the conversation. 
Balanced and well produced, "Sélébeyone" opens different horizons for both hip-hop and improvised jazz.

Favorite Tracks: 
02 – Are You in Peace? ► 04 – Origine ► 05 – Cognitio

Victor Gould - Clockwork

Victor Gould: piano; Myron Walden: tenor saxophone; Godwin Louis: alto saxophone; Jeremy Pelt: trumpet; Ben Williams: bass; E.J. Strickland: drums; Pedrito Martinez: percussion; Anne Drummond: flute; Yoojin Park: violin; Heejin Chang: viola; Veronica Parrales: cello.

Victor Gould, a meritorious pianist who worked with Donald Harrison, Ralph Peterson, and Wallace Roney in the past as a sideman, has an auspicious debut as a bandleader with “Clockwork”, a solid album that puts into practice his pungent compositional work.
Forming a stark foundation together with the bassist Ben Williams and the drummer EJ Strickland, Gould diversifies the moods and textures of his music by constantly altering the group’s format throughout the record.
Cooked in trio, we have the eloquent “Mr. Carter”, which pays tribute to the veteran bassist Ron Carter, and “Nefertiti”, a naturally enigmatic tune composed by Wayne Shorter and disseminated by Miles Davis on his 1968 album of the same name. However, it was with “Blue Dales”, when the rhythm section was empowered with the addition of Martinez’ percussion, that the trio impressed me most, relying on a stunning piano expressiveness and sparkling interplay to punch us hard.
The horns become simultaneously prevalent and influent throughout some of the tracks with Pelt, Walden, and Louis offering us dazzling improvisations. This happens in the title track, a tune that fills the air with a percussive exuberance, “Room 416”, whose harmonization and melody also carry something from Shorter, “Apostle John”, the most striking piece of the record, which advances at a swaggering rhythm as it resorts to incisive modal detours, and “Three Souls”, an empathic spiritual celebration pelted with awesome solos occasionally intercalated with winning collective improvisations.
Even if the variables keep changing, the formula remains consistent, making us conclude that Gould’s clockwork operates with a Swiss precision. 

Favorite Tracks: 
04 – Blue Dales ► 07 – Apostle John ► 11 – Three Souls

Sebastian Noelle - Shelter

Sebastian Noelle: guitar; Marc Mommaas: tenor saxophone; Matt Mitchell: piano; Matt Clohesy: bass; Dan Weiss: drums.

Backed up by a great quintet, the German-born guitarist, Sebastian Noelle, puts up his third album on the Fresh Sound label.
Throughout the tunes that make part of “Shelter”, it’s easy to identify consistent ideas and refined sounds that occasionally step aside from the common jazz boundaries. “Ahir Bhairav”, a Hindustani classical raga, shows exactly that consistency and openness.
Another tune that called my attention was “Unlikely Heroes”, a rhythmically complex composition that inhabits in the rock genre, evincing Weiss’ great agility with the bass drum as well as a visionary improvisation by Noelle. A broken swing erupts on the spur of the moment for Mitchell’s haunting solo.
Both the polyrhythmic “Home In A Strange Land” and the strapping “Naphta vs Settembrini” display interesting dialogues between the bandleader and the communicative Dutch saxophonist Marc Mommaas. In the former tune, this interaction takes the form of a stimulating shared improvisation, while in the latter, it relies on two distinct melodies that simulate a philosophical conversation between Thomas Mann's "Magic Mountain's characters mentioned in the title.
In “Seven Up”, it’s outstanding how Clohesy and Weiss play slightly behind the tempo with sophistication. Mitchell shows his explorative side and creativity in a great solo, while Noelle, exhibiting a bright sound, picks unconventional notes to cause admiration. 
Expansive and well-founded, “Shelter” will reveal many new aspects to be discovered at every listening.

Favorite Tracks:
01 – Seven Up ► 06 – Unlikely Heroes ► 08 – Ahir Bhairav