Francisco Mela - Fe

Leo Genovese: piano; Gerald Cannon: bass; Francisco Mela: drums. Guest - John Scofield: guitar.

Francisco Mela, an invigorating Cuban-born drummer, percussionist, and composer, releases a powerful new album entitled Fe (faith), which works as a tribute to his late parents and a way of gratefulness toward the masters who believed in his capacities. He recorded it with his Crash Trio, which includes the Argentine pianist Leo Genovese and the American bassist Gerald Cannon. The master guitarist John Scofield appears on two tracks as a very special guest.

“Ancestros”, a breathtaking tune initiated in rubato and delivered at a complex tempo, makes us alert and features the inventively dazzling touches of Genovese, deeply immersed in the robust web created by the elastic rhythm section that paddles toward a grandiose finale. Here, one can have a glimpse of Chick Corea’s initial phase.
“Mr. Alden” is a frolicking and unstoppable swinging piece that shows how Genovese can sound dashingly percussive, resorting to the use of several octaves to punch us in the face. The gentle beginning of “Don McCoy”, a richly textured tune that salutes McCoy Tyner, interrupts this animation. It precedes the title track, which marks the first intervention of Mr. Scofield, whose jubilant tones and vibes change the mood presented until then. The guitarist returns, later on, to unchain another sizzling improvisation in “Just Now”, a bop-influenced exercise that also features brilliant musical expressions by Genovese and Cannon.

“Romeo and Juliette” is a ballad that conveys the same dramatic sentiment as the Shakespeare’s novel characters that served it as inspiration.
Mela’s songcraft can be appreciated in the flowing “Reflections” is peppered by the percussive abilities of the bandleader, while “Lovano’s Mood” honors the legendary saxophonist Joe Lovano with resoluteness.  
Stepping on avant-garde territory, “Curcuros” brings Mela’s restless drumming below a repetitive piano idea. The climactic tones are increased when Cannon starts to bow his upright bass. The album comes to a conclusion with “Open Dance”, a thriving piece adorned with Brubeck-ish melodies and bouncing improvisations.

Each track warrants its place on this edgy album, arising different emotions in accordance with the mood embraced. High quality is assured, and Mela’s faith is also our faith that he can be definitely validated as one of the most valuable drummers of the contemporary jazz.

          Grade A

Favorite Tracks:
01 – Ancestros ► 07 – Curcuros ► 09 – Just Now

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Marcello Pellitteri - Aquarius Woman

Orazio Maugeri: alto saxophone; Salvatore Bonafede: piano; Gabrio Bevilacqua: acoustic bass; Marcello Pellitteri: drums; + guests.

Marcello Pellitteri, a sensitive drummer and experienced educator, convenes an Italian quartet composed of Orazio Maugeri on alto saxophone, Salvatore Bonafede on piano, and Gabrio Bevilacqua on acoustic bass, to homage his daughter Veronica, who passed away in 2014, at the age of 23.
Each member contributes with original compositions to Aquarius Woman an emotional record that also includes a couple of covers and poems.

A few guests join the quartet along the way, and the first doing it is the experienced tenor man George Garzone, who blew fiercely in “Chasin’ The Zone”, a straightforward post-bop tune declared with impressionistic expressiveness. 
Things get lighter and smoother in “Longin”, a moderated swing song that obeys to traditional contours, as well as in the title track, where we can hear Veronica’s voice reading a poem by an Indonesian poet named Murtiningru. Also, “Remind to Live” strolls unhurriedly through peaceful pathways.
Bonafede’s “Villeneuve”, starting with a melodious sax and sparse piano chords, showcases the bandleader’s drumming skills, here culminating into a sympathetic solo. The band confidently returns to the main theme where we can hear the interpositions of Maugeri and Bonafede, filling the available spaces.

Veronica’s favorite tunes were also featured on the recording. A passionate bass prelude anticipates Alicia Keys’s “If I Ain’t Got You”, sung by Nedelka Prescod, while Stevie Wonder’s “Ribbon in the Sky” had Lauren Kinhan in charge of intonating the lyrics.
The resonant and mutable “Twenty Three” is 23 bars long with 23 notes in the melody, a peculiarity in Pellitteri’s compositional effort to homage his beloved daughter. Here, a stirring funky groove invites to explore a bit further, suggestion that Maugeri and Bonafede embraced with conviction and seriousness. They did it again in “Saxando” whose sunny disposition contrasts with a certain nostalgic melancholy evinced in “Colors On Your Face”, a pop tune spurred by unaltered drumbeats.

Pellitteri unveiled solid skills as a composer and arranger, turning Aquarius Woman into a sincere and emotive body of work that transpires hope and virtue. 
I believe this was an urgent step for him as part of a natural healing process.

Favorite Tracks:
01 – Chasin’ The Zone ► 05 – Villeneuve ► 08 – Twenty Three

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Tim Daisy's Celebration Sextet - The Halfway There Suite

Dave Rempis: tenor saxophone; Steve Swell: trombone; James Falzone: clarinet; Russ Johnson: trumpet; Fred Lonberg-Holm: cello; Tim Daisy: drums.

Chicago-based drummer and composer, Tim Daisy, is known for his dedication to the avant-garde jazz, a style of which he keeps contributing prolifically whether through solo performances or musical associations that most of the times fall in duets and trios. 
To counteract this tendency, Daisy convenes an astonishing sextet - Dave Rempis on tenor saxophone, James Falzone on clarinet, Russ Johnson on trumpet, Steve Swell on trombone, and Fred Lonberg-Holm on cello - to record The Halfway There Suite, his new auspicious album.

There’s a lot to like in this short session, which was performed and recorded live on the occasion of Daisy’s 40th birthday celebration. The drummer had these five excellent musicians in mind when he composed this four-part suite. Through the strong empathy, precise coordination, and grand elation detected here, it’s easy to conclude that besides talented explorers they are friends above all.

Daisy’s opening is a four-minute chamber jazz piece that finds its balance mostly through the simultaneous actions of the reedists. It features improvisations by Johnson on a first instance, and then Swell, who finishes in style.
The atmosphere becomes fervent during “Pt. 2”, a spontaneous automation grounded in a fantastic groove laid down by Lonberg-Holm and solidified by Daisy’s lusty drumming. In terms of improvisation, Falzone enchanted me as if I were a serpent. In opposition, Rempis gave wings to creativity by engendering a caustic speech imbued of tension. The tune is wrapped up with a collective improvisational section whose controlled cacophony made me jump. At this point, dancing is a valid option!

The longest and more abstract piece is “Pt. 3” where Lonberg-Holm cooks an eerie atmosphere. You’ll have the opportunity to admire not only the conversational reciprocity between Falzone and Swell, but also Daisy’s thunder rumblings and arrhythmias.
The exciting six-piece ensemble closes its performance with “Pt. 4”, an intoxicating waltz driven by sometimes-explosive, sometimes-danceable rhythms, and punctuated by contrasting blowouts and conductible melodic ideas.

If free and avant-jazz genres are your cup of tea, in the end, you’re going to ask for more.

Favorite Tracks:
02 – Pt. 2 ► 03 – Pt. 3 ► 04 – Pt. 4

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Donny McCaslin - Beyond Now

Donny McCaslin: tenor saxophone; Jason Lindner: keyboards; Tim Lefebvre: electric bass; Mark Guiliana: drums; David Binney: synth; Nate Wood: guitar; Jeff Taylor: vocals.

Widely acclaimed saxophonist Donny McCaslin returns with a personalized project of his authorship after participating in David Bowie’s Blackstar.
McCaslin reunites his Fast Future quartet, whose members - Jason Lindner on keyboards, Tim Lefebvre on electric bass, and Mark Guiliana on drums - were also crucial in the English pop star's lattermost album, and adds a few influential guest musicians to play on selected songs.
The nine tracks of Beyond Now intelligently combine a variety of variables that catapult McCaslin to the vanguard of the modern jazz. 

The opening tune, “Shake Loose” pulses with hypnotic rhythmic chops and feels simultaneously urban and futuristic. With strong influences of pop-rock, jazz, and electronic music, the quartet proliferates a penetrating tension that remains elevated until its release through expansive harmonic progressions and the attractive melody of the chorus. 
A comparable approach is used in the melodious and patiently-driven “Bright Abyss”, another fantastic original that quickly connects to our senses through a sober, alert, and provocative instrumentation. The emotional grandeur brought into its final section, which is magnified by voices, has become McCaslin’s signature over the years. 

Having worked with David Bowie must have been a great honor for these musicians. Grateful for the opportunity, they've agreed in the recording of two of his songs: “A Small Plot of Land”, featuring Jeff Taylor on vocals and Nate Wood on guitar, is a depressive chant whose inaugural regular beats gain a stronger perspective as Guiliana introduces richer drumming maneuvers; and “Warszawa”, which is strongly anchored in Lindner’s obscure interventions, becoming a suitable prop for McCaslin’s infatuations.
The quartet dabbles in ambient-electronic allures through the addition of Deadmau5’s “Coelacanth 1”, in which the quartet attempts to describe the beauty but also the dangers of a distant planet, and Mutemath’s “Remain”, a soulful blend of electronic, pop, and gospel that left me in a state of inebriant ecstasy. 
“Glory” only reinforces the bandleader’s dexterity as a composer and improviser, at the same time that features Lindner in a beautiful solo piano instance. The intensification of the closing harmonic cycles brought in more of the saxophonist’s swirling explorations.

McCaslin’s sound and ideas remain fresh and original, and Beyond Now stands a few steps ahead of the present time. As a pioneer of this type of fusion, he solidifies the present by keeping an eye in the future. After all, he’s a jazz giant, a reputation founded on his own merit.

Favorite Tracks:
05 – Bright Abyss ► 08 – Glory ► 09 – Remain

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Terell Stafford - Forgive and Forget

Terell Stafford: trumpet; Tim Warfield: tenor saxophone; Kevin Hays: piano; Greg Williams: bass; Rodney Green: drums.

With Forgive and Forget, the experienced trumpeter and educator, Terell Stafford, proves it’s possible to pick the best of what hard-bop can offer and efficiently adapt it to our days, embracing a salutary commitment between past and present.
His new recording comprises nine colorful tunes written, produced and arranged by Herb Harris, who trusted the material to Stafford and his persuasive quintet composed of Tim Warfield on tenor saxophone, Kevin Hays on piano, Greg Williams on bass, and Rodney Green on drums.

As a starting point, we have “No, No, No (That Ain’t The Way It Go)”, a fascinating waltz that flourishes with modal inflections. Despite having been written during a rehearsal of Duke Ellington’s music, this tune fits somewhere between Joe Henderson’s The Kicker and the post-bop wallops of McCoy Tyner.
“A Two-Per To Fill” rests in the bop tradition, obeying to a pretty known structure and bringing a vivid swinging groove to the game. It features expressive solos from Warfield, Stafford, and Hays.

The title track, a ballad with rich harmonic passages, feels a bit long, but that factor made me appreciate even more the rhythmic nuances of “The Owl Express”, another energetic and fluid ride along the streets of hard-bop. Warfield’s explosive solo was particularly catchy, forcing his bandmates, Stafford and Hays, to draw compelling improvisational responses.
In “Please Rest My Soul”, one can find a peaceful graciousness in Stafford’s vocabulary in addition to the passionate lyricism in Hays’s delicate expressions.
A second take of “No, No, No” and a lower speed variant of “The Owl Express” were also included.

The members of this simpatico quintet, once in the possession of Harris’ compositions, intrepidly accomplished the mission to make them sound good. Attentive listeners will notice their enjoyment in playing together and their dedication to a genre they move effortlessly and passionately. There's something palpable here, waiting to send us back to the glory days of jazz. 

Favorite Tracks:
01 – No, No, No (That Ain’t The Way It Go) ► 04 – The Owl Express ► 06 – Please Rest My Sou

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Aziza - Aziza (Holland / Potter / Loueke / Harland)

Dave Holland: bass; Chris Potter: tenor and soprano saxophones; Lionel Loueke: guitar; Eric Harland: drums.

Aziza is the name of a brand new jazz supergroup of snappy influence that includes the bassist Dave Holland, the guitarist Lionel Loueke, the saxophonist Chris Potter, and the drummer Eric Harland.
Their self-entitled debut album is a remarkable artistic pearl that exhales both collective creativity and crisp individual improvisations.

It opens with the groundbreaking funk of “Aziza Dance”, a semi-robotic jubilation that features Potter and Loueke in sharp unisons and affirmative solos on top of the groove laid down by the grandiose rhythm section. The inventive guitarist, and author of this piece, whose quirky approach never lets me down, stands out by improvising with aplomb and originality while using a mesmerizing guitar effect.
The predominance of African and exotic rhythms are observable throughout the record. “Summer 15” is emulsified by Potter’s soprano during the initial melody and then tenor for the final theme; “Finding the Light” is peppered by the saxophonist’s in/out concept and Harland’s intelligent rhythm patterns; in “Sleepless Night”, Loueke shows his enormous influence and versatility, singing and opting for guitar distortion to exchange compelling phrases with Potter.

Even if the title suggests a walking bass, don’t expect to find it in “Walkin’ the Walk”, which thrives with an effervescent groove that obeys to a complex meter. Holland, simultaneously leader and team player, clarifies why he is the most desirable bassist on Earth. Potter and Harland channel their energy to provide unflagging verve.
In “Aquila”, the quartet changes the tempo, passing from a 6/8 to a 4/4 in the final section. Most of its flavor comes from Loueke’s aromatic comping. 
An alternative approach was used in the rhythmically acrobatic, “Blue Sufi”, which grabs influence from rock music while occasionally scatters eastern innuendos translated by Potter’s steadfast phrasing.

Using the jazz language as an intermediary, Aziza celebrates different cultures through a consummate liaison. The brilliance of these top musicians translates into a rewarding, nimble album. Indubitably, this is one of the year's best.

Favorite Tracks:
01 – Aziza Dance ► 03 – Walkin’ the Walk ► 08 – Sleepless Night

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Leandro Cabral Trio - Alfa

Leandro Cabral: piano; Sidiel Vieira: bass; Vitor Cabral: drums and percussion. 

Leandro Cabral, an emergent Brazilian pianist and composer of exemplary perception, has in Alfa, his sophomore album, a beautiful statement of impeccable musicality and incredible interaction with his trio mates, bassist Sidiel Vieira and drummer Vitor Cabral. 
Infused with gleeful intonations, the longtime friends embark on a musical journey packed with unique sounds and granular details where the richness of the Brazilian music meets the quieter side of jazz. To give you a rough idea of what you can find here, imagine Jobim’s bossanova harmonization blended with the pacifism of Marcin Wasilewski’s improvisation.

Unusual Brazilian rhythms such as the vassi and ijexá, both original from Bahia, populate many of Cabral’s compositions. The opening tune, “O Amor Que Se Deu” is one of them, crafted with sensitivity and delivered with eloquence, but it was through “Rute e Sua Grandeza” that they hit my soul. It’s a ravishing, meditative, and soulful piece suffused with warm compassion and overflowing energy.
Another impactful number is the percussive title track, a relaxing prayer reminiscent of Manu Katché’s music, which I imagine proclaiming peace for everyone and thanking the Creator for the life and the music. It features a fantastic bass solo.

Standing as a romantic emanation and featuring guests Vanessa Moreno on vocals and Cássio Ferreira on soprano, “A Dança” is less danceable than “O Grande Azul”, a freeing Brazilian-influenced rapture.
Jobim’s “Outra Vez” starts with Leandro’s intimate piano intro, and is renovated through fresh, docile sounds as it finds shelter in a well-tangled turnaround by the end. The spiciest rhythms come from Johnny Alf’s Brazilian classic “Rapaz de Bem” while “Inutil Paisagem” naturally suggests sadness and beauty in equal amounts, fitting in the same package as Leandro’s “Valsa do Amanhã” and “Marcela”. 

Alfa is a highly recommended recording. Profoundly enthralling in its introspective harmony, which is incessantly enhanced by the trio’s fabulous chemistry.

Favorite Tracks:
04 – Rute e Sua Grandeza ► 06 – O Grande Azul ► 08 – Alfa

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Brandi Disterheft - Blue Canvas

Brandi Disterheft: bass, cello, vocals; Harold Mabern: piano; Joe Farnsworth: drums.

Canadian contrabassist, singer and composer, Brandi Disterheft, a true representative of the contemporary swinging jazz, releases her fourth album on Justin Time Records. As a valuable element of a younger generation, Ms. Disterheft had no problem in joining forces with two of the most streetwise musicians dwelling in the traditional jazz. I’m talking about the pianist Harold Mabern and the drummer Joe Farnsworth, her accomplices in Blue Canvas, a joyful work that abounds with seductive rhythms, colorful sounds and fiery improvisations.
 
“Dis Here”, Bobby Timmons’s 6/8 soul-jazz classic, worked miracles in my ears with its engrossing vibes, allowing the three musicians to show their improvisational skills.
The trio steps on a similar ground when playing other stylish bop tunes. In Mabern’s “Beehave”, the nature of the theme itself allows Farnsworth to express himself thoroughly behind the drum set before a frantic swing brings the house down.
The irresistible melodies of the hard-bopper trumpeter Clifford Brown are well replicated in a couple of tunes he wrote, “Daahoud” and “George’s Dilemma”. The former, so expressively caressing, diverges from the latter, which is vigorously propelled by a dazzling Latin pulse, perfect for Farnsworth’s exteriorization.

Ms. Disterheft assumes the responsibility of uttering the head’s melodic line both in Todd Dameron’s “Our Delight”, which boasts extroverted bass and piano solos, and Ann Ronell’s bluesy ballad “Willow Weep for Me”. She does it with smoothness.
However, this record doesn’t live exclusively from bop renditions. The three originals from Ms. Disterheft also weigh in the final balance. The gently Latinized “Cripping Thrill” is an impulsive, sensuous endeavor that ends up swinging strongly, yet my senses became much more alert with the title track, an up-tempo vocalized enticer that evokes Dizzy’s “Salt Peanuts” memorable line.

The clever selection of tunes gained more preponderance with the sturdy rapport of the trio, so essential to starting a new euphoria and bringing some freshness into the perennial swinging jazz. 

Favorite Tracks:
01 – Dis Here ► 06 – Blue Canvas ► 07 – George’s Dilemma

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Joshua Redman & Brad Mehldau - Nearness

Joshua Redman: saxophone; Brad Mehldau: piano.

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

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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, 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

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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

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Satoko Fujii / Joe Fonda - Duet

Satoko Fujii: piano; Joe Fonda: double bass.

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

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Nick Sanders & Logan Strosahl - Janus

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

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

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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.

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

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Frank Kimbrough - Solstice

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

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

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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.

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

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Joshua Breakstone - 88

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

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

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Ron Stabinsky - Free For One

Ron Stabinsky: piano.

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

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Adam O'Farrill - Stranger Days

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

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

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Stephan Crump - Stephan Crump's Rhombal

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

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

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