Ethan Sherman - Building Blocks

August 30, 2017

Label/Year: pfMentum, 2017

Lineup – Ethan Sherman: guitar; Chris Rolontz: bass; Christian Euman: drums.

Ethan Sherman is an L.A.-based guitarist and composer whose openness to different styles and facility of approach make him an interesting voice in the modern jazz world. His debut album as a leader, Building Blocks, was recorded in trio with Chris Rolontz on bass and Christian Euman on drums.

The translucent opacity of Sherman’s music punches like a matador in the introductory section of “Jungle Gym”, a rubato incursion that nods to Ben Monder and surprises through immersive, robust triads. Afterward, this same piece is recuperated, shortened to half, and accelerated in pace (called the fast version). Despite the opening tune’s premise, it was the pop/rock feast “Keltner”, written by Sherman with the drummer Jim Keltner in mind, that immediately gained focus through the mystery drawn by on-spot guitar chords coated with occasional powerful distortion and corroborated by a languid yet confident groove that guides and enthralls.

The easy melody presented in the light-hearted “Dangling” dances freely over the undeviating foundation formed by Euman’s riding cymbal strokes and Rolontz’s danceable pulsation from below. After improvising, the bassist continues with a discerning walking bass that leads us to Steve Swallow’s old happy creations.

The most beautiful piece is also the most reserved. Entitled “Norway”, this airy, far-sighted, Motian-esque composition paints autumnal landscapes with a mighty force that implodes, maintaining an unaltered surface that anchors in “Pretty Polly”, a traditional folk song reimagined to hinge distorted guitar dissonances and loose, often atmospheric bass-drums liaison.

Strongly influenced by the blues, “Motivation” takes the shape of an accessible song whose rustic, soulful touches get it closer to a ballad. It contrasts with "Positive Space”, a fruitful blend of dreamy folk and dissimulated funk where Sherman uses his peculiar vocabulary drawn from jazz and rock to speak frankly, and “Snowshoe”, a delicate pop mantra initially escorted by minimal mallet-driven drumming, bowed bass, and circular chord progressions embellished with harmonics. After Rolontz’s bass solo, the tune’s texture core is intensified but never altered.

This is an auspicious debut from a talented young guitarist that shows strong compositional skills and potential to do even greater things in the future.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Keltner ► 04 - Norway ► 08 - Positive Space

Logan Strosahl Team - Book I of Arthur

August 29, 2017

Label/Year: Sunnyside Records, 2017

Lineup - Logan Strosahl: alto saxophone, narration; Michael Sachs: clarinets; Sam Decker: tenor saxophone; Aquiles Navarro: trumpet; Nick Sanders: piano; Henry Fraser: bass; Connor Baker: drums; Julia Easterlin: narration.

I first came across with the music of saxophonist Logan Strosahl last year, when I got the album Janus, recorded in duo with the pianist Nick Sanders, also a member of his Team collective group. I was very well impressed with the connectedness and genre bending adopted by the talented pair of musicians, who join forces with five other musicians to devise Book I of Arthur, the first of a planned set of three chapters inspired on the legendary King Arthur.

The session opens with “Prologue: In Nomine”, which introduces the tale with devoted medieval classical orientations. These cordial tones become frenzied in the introductory horn-driven exaltation of the following piece, “Wherein the Beast Is Ever More and More”. The ways of the troubadour come back shortly later to sustain the atmosphere with a properly cadenced piano accompaniment and multiple reed lines atop.
Strosahl expressively narrates “Uther Pendragon and the Birth of Arthur”, having changeable textures propagating in the background and enveloping the story with a strong cinematic sense.

A feisty and intense rhythm, projected with the force and passion of Sanders’ wanders and the sturdy bass-drum flow, initially takes over “Igraine Gives the Infant Arthur to Ector”, which decreases when the vigor is forever put to a halt to emphasize soaring, introspective moments delineated by clarinet and bowed bass.

If “The Woods So Wild” is shaped like a folk dance and filled with contrapuntal horn movements and dynamic pulse, the surprising “Narratio: Turn Thou Us...” goes from a gently-handled, pure classical approach to a fiery collective unfolding that hits hard on the ears.
“Battle of Bedegraine” and “Prooemium” provide some of the finest moments. The former, narrated by Julia Easterlin, develops with sharp angles and protuberances in the melody, acquiring depth by the presence of low-toned piano voicings and boosted by rampant saxophone incursions and trumpet stunts, which I wish would be further explored. The latter piece boasts lush harmonic sequences and a strapping improvisation by the bandleader before finishing in another collective manifestation.

This chapter culminates in the form of a conquering celebration where the knightly posture is recuperated within a monophonic classical arrangement.

Operating in his comfort zone, which encompasses both the jazz and classical genres, Strosahl takes some risk by superimposing the spoken words to the music. Even not matching the previous Up Go We, this new album still brings some interesting ideas and particular moods to be discovered and appreciated.

Favorite tracks:
05 - Igraine Gives the Infant Arthur to Ector ► 09 - Battle of Bedegraine ►10 – Prooemium

Sam Boshnak Quintet - Nellie Bly Project

August 28, 2017

Label/Year: ARC, 2017

Lineup – Sam Boshnak: trumpet, vocals; Beth Fleenor: clarinets; Alex Chadsey: piano, keyboards; Isaac Castillo: acoustic and electric bass; Max Wood: drums.

Following up the 2014 album Exploding Syndrome, Seattle-based trumpeter Sam Boshnak reunites her stalwart quintet: Beth Fleenor on clarinets, Alex Chadsey on piano and keyboards (replacing Dawn Clement), Isaac Castillo on acoustic and electric basses, Max Wood on drums - and delivers Nellie Bly Project, a 4-track album that navigates on explorative waters of the avant-garde genre while portraying the title character, a 19th-century American journalist and feminist known for her record-breaking trip around the world in 72 days.

Boshnak’s “Expositions” tears into a puissant rhythm and groove after an intriguing introduction featuring the deep tones of bass clarinet, which, together with bowed bass reinforces the foundation’s compactness with a swaggering stance. Rather intelligible than sprinting, the trumpet solo that follows, momentarily complemented with clarinet punctuations, leads to a bridge that breaks down with a vocalized ostinato interlude, obsessively iterate by the guest vocalists Valerie Holt and Anne Mathews. The structure is maintained through a bass pedal and rockish drumming, while piano melodies echo along. The tune has its consummation with an extemporized keyboard endeavor, melodically supported by the horns voice leading.

The following tune, “After One Is In Trouble”, is mounted by stumbling and contrasting dualities claimed by bass clarinet and trumpet as they operate together. Shifting tempos and rhythms are natural consequences of the infinite search for expansion, transcendence, and resolution. After the individual statement by Wood, who works on a clockwise hi-hat demonstration at the same time that explores tom-tom timbres, the band goes into a dazzling avant-garde tract that ends up in an abandonment of bowed bass and piano.

“72 Days” wields a challenging bass groove throughout the first section, adorned with a vocalized ostinato and free trumpet trajectories atop. Piano trills are just a small part of the great work developed by Chadsey, who cleverly infuses a sort of spirituality in the harmonic sequences to exalt and stun. Vocals take over the second section, and we find Boshnak uttering Bly’s words in multiple layers - "I would rather go in dead and successful than alive and behind time". The organist, operating behind Fleenor’s passionate solo, intermittently repeats the associated melody. For the triumphant finale, the first section is retrieved and intensified by fluttering horn stamps and decisive percussion maneuvers.

The record ends with “Legacy”, another magnetic experimentation that will certainly be appreciated by the fans of Dave Douglas’ compositional style and formidable instrumentation.

Whether functioning in spacious or dense areas, Nellie Bly Project vibrates with raw musicality and airs a remarkable honesty in its endeavor to capture Bly’s spirit.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - After One Is In Trouble ► 03 - 72 Days

Matt Wilson - Honey and Salt

August 26, 2017

Label/Year: Palmetto, 2017

Lineup – Dawn Thomson: guitar, vocals; Jeff Lederer: reeds, harmonium, vocals; Ron Miles: cornet; Martin Wind: acoustic bass guitar; Matt Wilson: drums.

Experienced American drummer Matt Wilson takes inspiration in the poetry of Carl Sandburg, poet of the people, for his new genre-bending outing, Honey and Salt, which features a talented group of musicians, and readings by guest jazz luminaries such as John Scofield, Carla Bley, Joe Lovano, Christian McBride, and more. Sandburg was a native of Illinois, as well as Wilson, who, well acquainted with the poet’s work, arranged the tunes in such a way that music and poetry could coexist symbiotically.

Throughout the 18 short pieces of the album, each one enveloped by a specific genre and mood, the band alternates between adventurous and prevailing approaches.

“Soup” is a great opening, carrying the spirit of The Lounge Lizards on its shoulders and boasting a blues-rock guitar riff inscribed on the surface of a convivial rhythmic core. The vocalist/guitarist Dawn Thomson assumes the leadership, and the tune also marvels through parallel melodies delivered conjointly by Jeff Lederer and Ron Miles, on the saxophone and cornet, respectively.

Vibrating with lofty rhythmic accentuations, “Anywhere and Everywhere People” exhibits Martin Wind’s loose bass grooves and Thomson’s frank guitar chops over a funky beat that stimulates the improvisers to operate within the same time frame.

If “Stars, Songs, Face” is clearly a product of the pop genre, “As Wave Follows Wave”, “Bringers”, and “I Sang” bring accentuated folk scents attached to their melodies. They all have this ear-pleasing balladic nature in common. Country music is also represented through “Prairie Barn” and “Offering and Rebuff”, even if the latter, mutates at a certain point to take a more pop direction.

“We Must Be Polite”, narrated by Scofield with an emphasis that occasionally reminisces Zappa, as well as “Choose”, are conducted with a similar fanfare-ish, animated stomp. The groovy throbs of the former tune become a formidable motivation for Lederer’s energetic blows and salient timbral maneuvers. The latter piece seems to have been inspired by Broadway musicals and classic films, exhibiting heroic snare ruffs n' rolls, and counterpointed cornet/flute melodic lines.

Wilson wouldn’t leave the jazz aside, and on “Snatch of Sliphorn Jazz”, he embarks on an interesting dialogue with Lederer, now blowing the soprano sax. All the impetuosity he conjures up on “Paper 2”, an alluring postbop momentum that swings and refreshes, is refrained on the following piece, “Trafficker”, which gets closer to Miles Davis’ cool line of action.
Pretty distinctive is “Night Stuff”, a slow paced procession propelled by Wilson’s mallet drumming, Thomson’s smart comping, and Lederer’s sweet melodic sketches on clarinet.

Everything ends in a joyful samba fashion with “Daybreak”, in which the warm vocalization increases the singableness of the very Brazilian melodies.

Honey and Salt provides moments of pure delight. Regardless the setting, Wilson’s ardent passion can be felt every time he wisely hits a piece of his drum kit.

Favorite Tracks:
01 – Soup ► 05 – We Must Be Polite ► 13 – Paper 2

Zack Clarke - Random Acts of Order

August 23, 2017

Label/Year: Clean Feed, 2017

Lineup - Zack Clarke: piano, electronics; Henry Fraser: double bass; Dre Hocevar: drums.

Emergent pianist Zack Clarke is constantly searching for brilliant textures to be delivered at the perfect moment. He does this by linking up creative melodic lines with titillating voicings and instinctive intervals with the intention of firstly build up tension and then release it. Operating with his reliable peers, bassist Henry Fraser and drummer Dre Hocevar, Clarke opens up new musical paths using both simple and complex processes.

Random Acts of Order, his debut album comprising only originals, holds a suggestive title since the impromptu lives within a well-founded structural order. This doesn’t mean that exploration is blocked. On the contrary, Clarke explores with logic in order to establish clear perspectives of the scenarios he imagines.

The opening piece, “Before The Cause” is sunken in abstract minimalism and wrapped in noisy shadiness.
“Act 1” is a daintily articulated piece that brims with shifting symmetries and sparkling motivic figures installed on top of a controlled agitation mounted by bass and drums. While Fraser keeps alternating between bowing with mystery and plucking with a groovy pulse, Clarke hits the keys with speedy eloquence to form whirls of sound, often triggering ascendant chordal movements that look back at Chick Corea’s chapter of Now He Sings Now He Sobs.

This music concept is interrupted when we listen to “Elements”, an abstract, atmospheric composition evincing static noise in the background and emulating watery sounds that quickly transports us to humid and swamping landscapes.

Static tension is also served up in “Act 2”, a spinning emancipation of self-expression that penetrates our ears with captivating exclamations and melodic zigzags.

Conspicuous modern classical movements belong to “Low Gardens”, a composition that merges different musical backgrounds to define obfuscatory scenarios enhanced with dramatic poise. On this tune, Clarke’s classy pianism and prodigious facility unravel consecutive piano trills that, joining the ominous bowed bass and effervescent drumming, become exceptional points of departure for free rambles built with patience and heading nowhere in particular.

“Up On The High” is an eventful joyride that starts with advancing piano drifts á-la Paul Bley, responsive rhythms, and timid bass screeches, but evolves into an unflinching, proud groove that supports well-versed pianistic textures. Even relying on particular rigid ideas, expectation never abandons the trio’s juncture.
The session ends with “Dee”, a passive yet striking solo piano piece that captivates through beautiful if morose melodic passages.

Contemporary jazz lovers who still don’t know Zack Clarke have in Random Acts of Order a great opportunity to visit strange musical territories and find out how prominent structural alignments sustain adequate amounts of dynamic exploration and experimentation.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Act 1 ► 05 - Up On The High ► 07 - Dee

Uri Gurvich - Kinship

August 22, 2017

Label /Year: Jazz Family, 2017

Lineup - Uri Gurvich: tenor and soprano saxophone; Leo Genovese: piano; Peter Slavov: bass; Francisco Mela: drums.

Born in Israel from Argentine parents and now based in New York, alto saxophonist and composer Uri Gurvich demonstrates a high level of maturity on his new outing, Kinship, the third, and probably the most accomplished, of his career. Gurvich’s previous works, The Storyteller and BabEl, were released on John Zorn’s Tzadik Records, and with them, he proved to possess the remarkable ability to merge Israeli traditional folk elements with the hard-hitting post-bop current.

Kinship, a very strong and meaningful word, is associated not only with his roots and family (the record is dedicated to his grandmothers) but also to his reliable longtime quartet, whose members: Leo Genovese on piano, Peter Slavov on bass, and Francisco Mela on drums, accompany him for a decade.

“Song For Kate”, dedicated to Gurvich’s wife, accentuates a Latin touch in the beat while thriving with ever-shifting harmonies and oriented melodic drives.

Rich in colors and flying with a 6/8 Latin groove, “Dance of the Ñañigos” loses the initial Afro-Cuban feel when Genovese starts to improvise with a more bluesy feel. Afterward, as the rhythm section sustains the pressure, Gurvich talks overtly, unveiling his sophisticated technique through a well-articulated phraseology. The piece doesn’t end without a lively conversation between the bandleader and the pianist as they start trading licks. They repeat the trading scene on “Hermetos”, a vibrant homage to the Brazilian wizard Hermeto Pascoal.

A great part of the album is heavily influenced by different cultures, roots, and folk traditions. For instance, “El Chubut” is a politically-charged, Latin-infused vagary, featuring the voice and the words of the special guest, Bernardo Palombo, while Sasha Argov’s “Im Tirtzi” is a tender and popular Israeli love song that fits between a bolero and a jazz standard. Another song composed by Argov, “Ha’Im Ha’Im”, is introduced by Slavov’s bass licks and boasts the pugnacious musicality of Genovese and Gurvich, who blow everything away with a kick-ass attitude and galloping resolution. “Twelve Tribes”, featuring Mela’s chivalrous rhythmic charges in a vamp reserved for his abilities, as well as “Blue Nomad”, are Eastern jamborees offering an array of motivic ideas taken from the Coltrane compendium.

“Go Down Moses” moves like a curvy roller coaster and mixes McCoy Tyner’s modal expansions with the spiritual improvisational eloquence of Coltrane and Kenny Garrett. The inside/outside approach adopted by Gurvich on soprano in addition to the vocals, reminisces Billy Harper’s blatant African rituals. This delirious pronouncement contrasts with the delicate concordance of the title track, which feeling loose, brings no strings attached in its yearning.

Kinship is a mature, multicultural, and urgent album from an underrated saxophonist who will certainly attract all the attention to himself after these rapturous compositions become fully exposed. Excluding blurry tactics and relying on luxurious yet unpretentious sonic architectures, Gurvich, an adventurous voice in the post-Coltranean fashion, is the man to follow.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Dance of the Ñañigos ► 04 - Twelve Tribes ► 06 - Go Down Moses

Vijay Iyer Sextet - Far From Over

August 21, 2017

Label/Year: ECM, 2017

Lineup - Vijay Iyer: piano; Graham Haynes - trumpet, cornet; Steve Lehman: alto saxophone; Mark Shim: tenor saxophone; Stephan Crump: bass; Tyshawn Sorey: drums.

Vijay Iyer is a tour-de-force pianist, improviser, and composer whose innovative concepts about music got him a wide legion of jazz fans.

To materialize the ten new original compositions included on Far From Over, his fifth ECM album, he opted to trust his recurrent rhythmic partners Stephan Crump and Tyshawn Sorey, respectively bassist and drummer, and enlisted the resourceful saxophonists Steve Lehman and Mark Shim, as well as the trumpeter Graham Haynes for a spectacular frontline.

The introductory section of “Poles” is launched with solo piano, to which bass and drums join before the luxuriant entrance of the reedists, who infuse striking counterpoint to the already bombastic groovy flow. Iyer’s incisive comping and rhythmical expression work in synergistic communion with Crump and Sorey, who respond with sturdiness to Lehman’s pungent language full of steep accentuations. In opposition to the altoist, Haynes, less adrenalized and more embraceable, contemplates with pleasure first and then explores before wrapping up.

Both the grandiose title track and the pushful “Good On the Ground” gallop energetically by employing vigorous rhythms. While the former, dishing out majestic polyphonies over a beautiful textural matrix, gives the opportunity to the horn players to shine individually and collectively, the latter, seems to have been made for an action movie with heart and bravery as key factors. It eventually glides into jazzy ground to sustain Shim’s infectious phrasing, Iyer’s extemporaneous runs and mordacious note aggregations, and Sorey’s powerful rhythmic cramps.

A fluid post-bop interpretation suffused with an impeccable rhythmic sense defines “Down to the Wire”, which features Shim’s dark timbre and impressive power of argumentation. Crump and Sorey, always working side by side for a steadfast navigation, weave a ductile layer that serves Iyer’s flexible ideas. Eloquent and adjustable, the pianist excels in his vibrant attacks.

Airing danceable and unambiguous vibes, “Into Action” serves as a vehicle for Haynes and the bandleader extemporize their creative thoughts. Even if we find some rhythmic connotations with “Nope”, an urban jazz-funk piece where Iyer adventures himself on the Fender Rhodes, this tune stands on a completely different shelf.

Quieter moods may be enjoyed not only on “For Amiri Baraka”, a poetic stance that expands harmonically in a classic trio format, but also on “Wake”, whose innocuous movements convey the lethargy of awakening from a heavy sleep, and “Threnody”, where the initial cerebral serenity is shaken by Lehman’s cutting-edge expansiveness.

Far From Over propagates revolutionary sound waves with the visceral earnestness that has been always associated with the pianist’s work along all these years. Vijay Iyer's compositional style translates into a vortex of possibilities in terms of rhythmic intensity, challenging time signatures, and interactive action, which are all unmistakable features of this authentic and consummate jazz artist.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Poles ► 02 - Far From Over ► 05 - Down To The Wire

Arthur/Fitzsimons/Otts - The Cheap Ensemble

August 18, 2017

Label/Year: Self-produced, 2017

Lineup - Patrick Arthur: guitar; Dana Fitzsimons: drums; Chris Otts: tenor saxophone.

The Cheap Ensemble, a cohesive and quirky jazz trio based in Atlanta, is composed of drummer Dana Fitzsimons, guitarist Patrick Arthur, and tenorist Chris Otts. It was the band’s wish to counteract the troubles and fear we’re living in today with a non-aggressive music style that works as a stress reliever.

Keeping a strong melodic keenness in sight while constructing texture and structure, the band navigates quietly, breathing a soaring tranquility that is quite enjoyable on Roberto Somoza's “Ithaca”, the memorable opening tune. Otts and Arthur converse with freedom, having Fitzsimons' cymbal strokes as a unique rhythmic support. Space is wide and the repose everlasting.

Following identical guidelines and evincing a balladic quality that suits Otts’ calm probes, “Poor Butterfly” seems inspired by those gorgeous jazz standards that cradle and serenade. To counter this tendency, Otts’ “Volkslied” heats things up with an inner energy that stems from sudden mutations we don't find on other tunes. The ternary accentuation and folk-influenced melodies end up in a circular harmonic prowess so characteristic of the pop/rock tradition.

A rendition of “Pure Imagination”, written in 1971 specifically for the film Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, introduces itself through a guitar ostinato punctuated by saxophone observations. It advances unhurriedly until a slight twist that launches off-kilter guitar textures and emphasizes the saxophone behaviors.

Chick Corea’s “Matrix” was included to homage drummer Hoy Haynes. The tune is everything but quiet, boiling with a pressurized rock-ish steam ready to burst anytime. The powerful triangular layers become denser with the time, finding orientation in an unexpected funk-rock rhythm that goes to the end.

The session culminates with an apparently hushed rendition of Bruce Hornsby’s “Fortunate Son”, which starts with bucolic contemplation but decides to instigate some action during Otts’ improvisation. Crescent reverb-drenched guitar waves gain preponderance guided by Fitzsimons light beats.

Indeed, The Cheap Ensemble earned my respect and succeeded in pacifying my soul with their atmospheric agility and timely poise.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Ithaca ► 03 - Volkslied ► 05 - Matrix

Ivo Perelman - The Art of Perelman-Shipp

August 17, 2017

Label/Year: Leo Records, 2017

Lineup - Ivo Perelman: saxophone; Matthew Shipp: piano; William Parker: bass; Michael Bisio: bass; Whit Dickey: drums; Bobby Kapp: drums; Andrew Cyrille: drums.

I don’t know any musician as much prolific as the Brazilian saxophonist Ivo Perelman. In the course of the last three years, he has released 24 albums with formations that keep changing according to a well-defined set of habitual collaborators. Namely pianists Matthew Shipp and Karl Berger, bassists William Parker and Michael Bisio, guitarist/bassist Joe Morris, violist Mat Maneri, and drummers Whit Dickey and Gerald Cleaver. Among them, one may say that Shipp, a top-notch avant-garde pianist of limitless ambidexterity, is his musical soulmate, and nothing better to celebrate that kinship than seven volumes of The Art of Perelman-Shipp.

Not all the musicians cited above contributed to the sessions, which were recorded between August 2015 and November 2016, but the duo added two drummers whose presences are not so recurrent: the heavyweight Andrew Cyrille and the undisclosed Bobby Kapp.

Each volume got the name of a moon of Saturn except for the sixth, a pure Perelman-Shipp duet, which was identified as the planet Saturn itself, the core in which everything comes into being, develops, and returns.

On Volume 1: Titan, the duo invites the sturdy bassist William Parker to join their creative arena, and creativity is something he doesn’t lack. The trio starts by walking on flat ground with Perelman almost whispering hushed murmurs, but after a short period, there’s a deflection into rugged territories, where his saxophone timbre switches from bright to dark. Both Shipp and Parker follow him by equally plunging into a mystery, hardening the ecstatic axis while stirring dynamics around it.

I found Tarvos, the second volume, slightly more pugnacious than the first. You may think of David S.Ware’s prayers interweaving with Albert Ayler’s eventful strolls, ending in purgative agitation and overwhelming fire. However, on “Part 6”, the introspection takes over, and I was able to spot a few scrupulous melodies delineated with lots of motifs and outcries encircling them.

Volume 3: Pandora, featuring a quartet with William Parker and Whit Dickey, has a strange appeal and exhibits impertinent postures in cleaner environments. As usual, the band plays with the mutability of tones, timbres, and moods, but in a more controlled, lyrical way. Shipp’s influences of classical music are quite noticeable here as he transforms creative ideas into wholehearted dances.

Michael Bisio, who draws a superb round sound from his bass, plays on the next two volumes Hyperion and Rhea. The latter also features Dickey in the drummer’s chair, and his percussive chops inject some more robustness. “Part 6” was particularly entrancing with inspired blows by Perelman, sometimes carrying some folk in the melody, and striking sonic gusts that made my feet come out of the ground. The adventures are quite elliptical, full of sweeps, contortions, and stretches.

The literal art of the duo can be enjoyed on Volume 6: Saturn, which comprises ten short pieces. “Part 9” is a highlight that brings beseeching melodic contours and highly percussive piano.

The great Andrew Cyrille joins for Volume 7: Dione, soloing upfront in the opening tune. The hosts adhere to the visitor’s suggestions in a triumphant point of entry and embrace an agitated asymmetry that drifts volubility from then on. The trio is on the same page and there are plenty of ravishing moments to be discovered.

Every different lineup offers different possibilities within the same line of approach and the seven volumes form a valid and meritorious body of work. My advice is: for a better absorption, don't listen to the seven volumes in a row. Doing so, you'll dig more precious details in the cathartic creativity of Perelman-Shipp.

Favorite Tracks:
03 (Vol 1) – Part 3 ► 09 (Vol 6) – Part 9 ► 01 (Vol 7) - Part 1

Oscar Feldman - Gol

August 16, 2017

Label/Year: Zoho, 2017

Lineup - Oscar Feldman: tenor and soprano saxophone; Leo Genovese: piano; John Benitez: bass; Antonio Sanchez: drums + guest Guillermo Klein: vocals, keyboards.

Versatile Argentine saxophonist Oscar Feldman opens his new album, Gol, with an inspired Latin feel associated to the colorful harmonic discernment of Duke Ellington’s “I Let a Song Out of My Heart”, impeccably arranged by Paquito D’Rivera. It features electrifying improvisations by the bandleader and his fellow countryman pianist Leo Genovese.

Another Argentine, Guillermo Klein, a highly respected pianist/composer with a flair for contemporary jazz exodus, appears as a special guest on “La Cancion Que Falta”, translated into ‘the song that’s missing, an original of his own where he sings the initial theme and plays keyboards, blending the agreeable linearity of a pop song with the profundity of the Argentine sentiment. Feldman reinstates the theme’s final melody on soprano saxophone.

Feldman borrows another challenging composition from Klein. Standing for ‘no name’, “N.N.” references the disappearances of several innocent people during the dictatorship in Argentina. The denunciation is made via vibrant soprano speeches, curious shifting rhythms, electric piano expansions, and meteoric percussive strikes.

“Viva Belgrano”, Feldman’s only original, couldn’t be more vivid and enthusiastic as it celebrates the moment that his hometown soccer team scored an important goal. The narration by Matias Barzola is placed at the beginning and end of a post-bop bravado stirred with hasty swinging passages and flammable solos. By the end, before the theme’s reinstatement, drummer Antonio Sanchez scores a monumental goal while signing his famous reverberant percussive attacks.

More swinging bass movements laid over post-bop harmonic preparations arrive with “Is That So?”, a Duke Pearson’s composition arranged by Bill Nelson. Besides Feldman’s expressive soprano trip, this tune also thrives with expeditious piano surges hooked up with shimmering voicings and the infatuated rhythmic dialogue between Sanchez and bassist John Benitez.

The exploration of diversified genres is effortlessly embraced through “Murmullo”, a traditional Cuban bolero that delicately intensifies the maritime air of a sweltering night on the Caribbean island, also Beck’s melodious song “Nobody’s Fault But My Own”, and The Beatles’ “I Feel Fine”, engendered with a straight ahead attitude to grasp variable time stamps and rhythmic flexibility. Feldman’s famous tonalities find groovy refreshment on the net created by Benitez’s propelling electric bass lines, Genovese’s nimble cadences, and Sanchez’s metrical impetus.

Suggesting persuasive moods, these expressive renditions are totally redesigned from scratch rather than imitated from the original versions. Gol, a product of Feldman’s personal maturation as a musician, is full of dominant counter-attacks and brings a fresh lure to the game.

Favorite Tracks:
03 - Viva Belgrano ► 05 - N.N. ► 08 - I Feel Fine

Mike Reed - Flesh & Bone

August 15, 2017

Label/Year: 482 Music, 2017

Lineup – Greg Ward: alto saxophone; Tim Haldeman: tenor saxophone; Ben Lamar Guy: cornet; Jason Stein: baritone clarinet; Jason Roebke: bass; Mike Reed: drums.

Riding high in the aftermath of his previous album, the propulsive A New Kind of Dance (482 Music, 2015), and moved by a harrowing racial experience in Europe, Chicago drummer Mike Reed presents us his new rewarding project, Flesh & Bone. The band features the core of People, Places & Things quartet - Greg Ward on alto saxophone, Tim Haldeman on tenor, and Jason Roebke on bass - plus a pair of sturdy improvisers, Ben Lamar Guy on cornet and Jason Stein on baritone clarinet. There’s also the spoken word of Marvin Tate who tries to call our attention to a few specific problems of this world.

On “Voyagers”, the chord-less ensemble inaugurates a celebratory state of affairs that flourishes with multiple horn timbres dancing in-the-groove of an unflinching percussive motion.

Another tune that strikes with invigorating horn spins is “A Separatist Party”, which besides exhibiting often-static bass notes and a funky backbeat, also welcomes the horn players into the spotlight of a hot improvisational steam.

In a totally different mood, “Conversation Music” features unobvious cornet routes by Lamar Gay and comes orchestrated with a Mingus feel and densely populated with expressive horn fills in the background.

The introduction of “My Imaginary Friend” (referring to a possible dream with his fellow drummer Tyshawn Sorey) consists of a saxophone monologue provided by Ward. His peers join him, kicking into a happy swing momentarily disrupted to introduce a neurotic solo by Stein, who operates his bass clarinet embracing an extended tonal range. Shoulder to shoulder, Lamar Gay and Haldeman pop into the scene for a sparkling conversation that finishes with tonalities of a serious argument.

“I Want to Be Small” and “Watching the Boats” are deviated from rugged paths to provide for the melodious tranquility that also reveals the generous spirit of the group. The former, a tune dedicated to the painter Archibald Motley, features Ward developing a phraseology whose cordial sound and sweetness take us to Duke Ellington’s times. In turn, the latter, following Roebke’s bass intro, opens the doors to an Indian-tinged meditation whose melodic contours are exemplarily designed by the reedists.

Tate’s poking words can be heard in three tunes. On one of them, “Call of Tomorrow”, the band harks back once again to Mingus, while continuously changing scenarios, from effusive carnivalesque parades to good-old-times swinging walks to rousing collective improvisations.

Mike Reed melts past and present, fusing them beautifully in Flesh & Bone, an album that allows us to hear and feel the tactile intensity of the collective and the individual expression of the soloists.

Favorite Tracks:
01 – Voyagers ► 03 – Conversation Music ► 06 – My Imaginary Friend

Charles Lloyd New Quartet - Passin Thru

August 14, 2017

Label/Year: Blue Note, 2017

Lineup – Charles Lloyd: saxophone, flute; Jason Moran: piano; Reuben Rogers: bass; Eric Harland: drums.

At the age 79, spectacular saxophonist Charles Lloyd keeps wielding the same impactful language and elegant expressiveness that assured him a prominent place in the history of jazz.

The long-awaited successor of the amazing Wild Man Dance (Blue Note, 2015), Passin’ Thru, encompasses old and new material in a total of seven ravishing long tracks that match very much his own style.

The album is another Blue Note Records outing and marks the 10th anniversary of Mr. Lloyd's new quartet, now with Jason Moran on piano, Reuben Rogers on bass, and Eric Harland on drums.

Lloyd re-examines the highly celebrated “Dream Weaver”, first recorded in 1969, with spiritual incisiveness and renewed harmonic intensity. His dramatic timbral interchanges combine wonderfully with Moran’s flurries in a mystifying, beautiful intro, where Rogers and Harland remain focused and connected. After a while, one can easily notice that catchy riff and seductive rhythm that made this tune so known and gracious in its sparkling danceability.

“Part 5, Ruminations”, one of the new compositions, feels quite loose as the quartet adapts to an unsettled route that makes a gradual detour into a pleasant swing. This ultimate cheery mood galvanizes the bandleader and Moran for another pair of striking improvisations.

The remaining new compositions take different orientations under Lloyd’s monstrously compelling power of speech, which varies from contemplative and affectionate to exultant and entrancing. The newest creations are “Nu Blues”, which carries a positive bop vibe due to its musical nature, “Tagore on the Delta”, which is nothing else than a decorative, far-flung, groovy fusion marked by the lightness of Lloyd’s flute over strummed piano strings, funk-oriented bass licks, and undemanding percussion attacks, and the closing piece, “Shiva Prayer”, a poignant meditation written for the late Judith McBean that features wet mallet drumming, deep bowed bass, and dreamy piano voicings.

Completing the roster, we have “How Can I Tell You”, an optimistic, heartfelt ballad that haunts, gazes at the infinite, and rejoices all at the same time, and "Passin' Thru", introduced by Rogers’ expressive pizzicato and exhibiting brisk melodies over a frantic rhythm. The former was first recorded on the album Discovery! in 1964 while the latter saw the daylight in 1963 when Lloyd was still a member of the Chico Hamilton Quintet.

Equal to himself, Lloyd never ceases to amaze. He takes advantage of the strong bonds established by the members of the quartet and throws in his limitless instrumental resources to envelop the world with bliss. Insightful, exciting, prayerful, genuine… ladies and gentlemen… my dearest saxophonist, Charles Lloyd, has a great new album.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Dream Weaver ► 04 - How Can I Tell You ► 05 - Tagore on the Delta

Kirk Knuffke - Cherryco

August 10, 2017

Label: SteepleChase Records, 2017

Lineup – Kirk Knuffke: cornet; Jay Anderson: bass; Adam Nussbaum: drums.

// this review was originally published on LondonJazz News on Jun 12 //

"Cherry-co" was the title of a tune by Don Cherry, which first appeared on the 1966 album The Avant Garde, a revolutionary piece of work jointly authored by Cherry and John Coltrane. The title, was in part a punning reference to the jazz standard "Cherokee", in part a conflation of Cherry and Co(ltrane).

Kirk Knuffke, the virtuosic NYC-based cornetist, has a new album CherryCo consisting of tunes by Cherry and Ornette Coleman - seven by Cherry and five by Coleman, and is in the company of two experienced master craftsmen of rhythm, bassist Jay Anderson and drummer Adam Nussbaum, working with both of them for the first time.

With a strong musical sensibility, both melodic and rhythmic, the trio plunges deep into the progressive universe of these composers, taking the opportunity to innovate as well while re-shaping the tunes with a tweak of their own. With a full-bodied acoustic sound and an infallible understanding of one another’s movements, the band begins this journey to the past with the reggae-ish "Roland Alphonso" by Cherry, who composed it for the Jamaican tenorist referred to in the title. After blowing the theme’s deep-seated melody with crisp delicacy, Knuffke embarks on a trippy improvisation that will keep you engaged and enthralled, at the same time that stimulates his peers to push forward. After Anderson’s loping bass solo and the reinstatement of the theme, the final vamp briefly allows Nussbaum to intensify his unostentatious brushed attacks.

Coleman’s shape-shifting "The Sphinx" is obstinate and animated in equal measure. The drummer's percussive intro has the feel of a march throughout, preparing the ground for the brisk melody that erupts from Knuffke’s cornet. Well accompanied by Anderson’s playful game, he engages in a funk rock backbeat when the time to improvise arrives, but just until they decide to make another adjustment toward a hasty swinging flow. When Knuffke regains the spotlight again, Nussbaum throws in lots of cymbal and snare drum whisks.

In the same vivid spirit, Cherry’s "Paris Ambulance Song" stands out through gracious coordination. By the end, we have Knuffke and Anderson trading fours with the drummer - which they also do on Coleman’s "Jayne", but this time expanding it into eight bars. This last tune, delivered with strong Latin accents, swings aplomb, propelled by a rhythm section that moves constantly in the pocket.

Mood variations are constant throughout the recording. If "Art Deco" feels like a gentle jazz standard and grooves along with sweet-sounding solos, "Remembrance", a blues-based piece packed with Latin touches, funk, and swing, gains a stimulating African pulse whenever Nussbaum operates with mallets. In contrast, "Golden Heart" displays bouncing unisons uttered by cornet and bass on top of a fluid rhythm, carrying an inherent Arabic feel attached.

The session ends with the title track, which is made of three different layers juxtaposed with as much elegance as freedom. The cornetist pours out multiple creative ideas taken from the freebop compendium and beyond, and the tune gradually decelerates toward the finale.

Cherryco, a collection of classic jazz tunes given a passionate and tasteful contemporary treatment, is a treat for the ears.

Favorite Tracks:
01 – Roland Alphonso ► 04 – Rememberance ► 07 – Jayne

Simona Premazzi - Outspoken

August 9, 2017

Label/Year: 2017

Lineup - Simona Premazzi: piano; Dayna Stephens: saxophones; Joe Martin: bass; Nasheet Waits: drums + guests Jeremy Pelt: trumpet; Sara Serpa: vocals.

Italian-born, New York-based pianist/composer Simona Premazzi aligns a bunch of interesting compositions, mostly original material, in her fourth outing, Outspoken, recorded with a gifted quartet whose respected members are Dayna Stephens on saxophones, Joe Martin on bass, and Nasheet Waits on drums.

A pair of decorous guest musicians joins the group on a couple of tracks, adding extra color to the diversified sonic palette employed by the pianist. They are trumpeter Jeremy Pelt, who besides producing the record also shows off his powerful and articulated jazz dialect on “Peltlude”, a song written with his inspirational musicality in mind, and the Portuguese singer Sara Serpa, who takes on the words of Harold Pinter’s poem to push “It Is Here” into unearthly spheres.

Ms. Premazzi prepares a soft blend of classical and jazz elements to be delivered in trio format on the opening tune, “Euterpe's Dance". This same tune also closes the album, with the pianist embarking on a lyrical duet with Martin.

Sustained by a static energy, “Premaxity” shines through Stephens’ communicative remarks while “Up On A. Hill” underpins colorful tango-ish impressions created by Premazzi’s expressive comping, and placed between interesting sectional passages linked to each other with precise coordination and observant sensitivity. Stephens’s improvisation pokes Waits, who reacts and converses by employing graceful rhythmic touches. Like the saxophonist, Premazzi draws the same reaction as she picks up the road of improvised spontaneity.

On “Digression”, one finds lush chords, delicate melodies crafted on soprano saxophone, and a sluggish, non-imposing rhythmic flux, suitable to receive Martin’s pinched bass solo.

A totally different feel comes out of the agile melodic conduction observed in “Blakonian Groove”, a showcase for the call-response strategy adopted by Premazzi and Stephens, who wrote the piece for the drummer Johnathan Blake. Vaulting bass lines and bustling drumming limn the rest of this sonic portrayal.

If the rendition of Billy Strayhorn’s classic ballad “Lush Life” didn’t impress me much, “Later Ago” did, with the stylish, effervescent, and emphatic avant-folk-jazz exhibited.

Outspoken is a pleasant follow up to The Lucid Dreamer, released in 2013 on Inner Circle Music, and exposes the crescent maturity and evolution in the way Ms. Premazzi composes, arranges, and plays.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Premaxity ► 03 - Up On A. Hill ► 09 - Later Ago

Tyshawn Sorey - Verisimilitude

August 8, 2017

Label/Year: Pi Recordings, 2017

Lineup - Cory Smythe: piano, electronics; Chris Tordini: bass; Tyshawn Sorey: drums, percussion.

As one of the most innovative, consistent, and in-demand drummers on the current scene, Tyshawn Sorey always brings something bold and new to the projects he’s involved in, whether as a leader or a sideman.

After the complex yet absorbing musical poetry of last year’s unclassifiable The Inner Spectrum of Variables, Sorey is back with Verisimilitude, another spontaneous body of work full of unlimited ideas and conceived to be played in a malleable trio with pianist Cory Smythe and bassist Chris Tordini.

The opening tune, “Cascades in Slow Motion”, is also the shortest on the album and mirrors exactly what its title suggests as it dives in an apparent textural fragility that is progressively denied by Sorey’s decisive solidification of the rhythmic basis. Smythe’s regular moves anchor in inconsolable voicings for the final moments.

Like a classical mourning chant that wouldn’t embarrass Chopin or Debussy, “Flowers for Prashant” walks at snail’s pace through Smythe’s intriguing and tactile combinations of granular notes, intervallic cadences put out by relentless left-hand movements, and perplexing phrases and chords.

Those uncertain ways develop into sinister vibes on “Obsidian”, an 18-minute volatility that simulates utopian molecular activities through organized layers of sound. Electronic manipulations serve as points of departure, evolving into organic statements delivered conjointly by pianist and drummer, whose actions oscillate between static and dynamic. Tordini appears in the middle, soloing aplomb, but his speech is ultimately engulfed by Smythe’s low-tone hammering and the bandleader’s mystifying tribal artifacts. This is a tune that piques your imagination and turns your senses widely alert.

With almost 31 minutes of unstoppable instrumental exploration over a fluctuant, improvised ground, the Homeric “Algid November” lives from vital sonic elements that include several percussion effects, atmospheric vagueness, paradoxical piano incursions, and small, controlled explosions of variable intensity and purpose. The trio becomes delightfully melodious at some point in the middle of this intriguing trajectory, breaking the currents of ambiguity and shaping its sound with more accessible procedures. Another particular stage of this tune comprises multiple nuanced piano ostinatos accompanied by percussive chimes and offbeat drum punches. One can also hear different kinds of chimes, gongs, and cymbal splashes on “Contemplating Tranquility”, the wide but still tangible closing piece.

Defying every attempt of music categorization and declining musical conventions, Tyshawn Sorey takes a traditional piano jazz trio to another level through his crepuscular, unconventional creativity. This music is not instantly absorbed. It’s a slow infusion of intricate sounds that cross, connect, and live for real.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Flowers for Prashant ► 03 - Obsidian ► 04 - Algid November

Ben Allison - Layers of the City

August 7, 2017

Label/Year: Sonic Camera Records, 2017

Lineup – Jeremy Pelt: trumpet; Steve Cardenas: guitar; Frank Kimbrough: piano; Ben Allison: acoustic and electric bass; Allan Mednard: drums.

Through beautiful records such as Buzz and Riding The Nuclear Tiger, American bassist Ben Allison made me aware of the mighty power that a compelling bass groove can infuse on a tune. His creative compositions, carriers of a contagious, nonchalant energy, are penned to set positive vibes on the loose, while the arrangements never feel knotty or forced. In fact, one of his strongest musical features, which I much admire, has to do with this capacity to let the music breathe and flow naturally.

From this breathable articulation comes the empowerment and enchantment of his recent work, Layers of the City, which comprises seven responsible original pieces. To shape them according to his own vision, Allison reunited two frequent collaborators - pianist Frank Kimbrough and guitarist Steve Cardenas, and added a pair of new partners – trumpeter Jeremy Pelt and drummer Allan Mednard.

The opening piece, “Magic Number”, erupts groovily static, obeying to a slow compound meter and featuring brief solos. While Pelt unites relaxation and resolve in his incursions, Cardenas drives his unobstructed lyricism with a lucid sound. This musing posture shifts to a restless, fast walk on “Enter the Dragon”, initially marked by smothered piano notes, and modernly propelled by a singing electric bass and hi-hat rhythmic bites. Assuming a pop/rock core here, the band plunges into experimental waters in a beautiful section that encompasses Kimbrough’s unhesitating breakthroughs, Allison’s jittery bass slides, and Mednard’s cymbal chatters. In turn, Pelt sticks to the main melody, creating unorthodox polyphonies with his mates before the re-establishment of the theme.

Feeling more hypnotic than intimidating, “Ghost Ship” appends a slow bass groove to refined brushed drumming, using Kimbrough’s appealing voicings as conductors. Pelt and Cardenas throw in Eastern-tinged melodies to substantiate the voluptuous distant dance.

Also inviting us to a Turkish-like folk dance, the title track brims with a joyous ecstasy. Even suggesting foreign flavors, this tune may only intend to sonically emulate the rush hours of NYC, where Allison lives. There’s also a delicious shifting passage where the bassist draws a typical hard-rock movement consisting of a repetitive minor third interval that implies power chords. This same approach is repeated on “Get Me Offa This Thing”, but having trumpet and guitar probing a few telepathic vibes sunk in gorgeous sound effects.

Drawing from tradition, but sounding contemporary, “The Detective's Wife” and “Blowback” also contribute to the diversity of the material. The former has an evident Latin touch, falling somewhere between the bolero and the tango, while the latter is a waltz draped with bass staccato moves.

The quintet’s good chemistry is never in question and the music becomes a pure reflection of their cohesive spontaneity. Layers of the City mirrors Allison’s uniquely expressive compositional style with illuminated strokes of genius, becoming an important entry in the bassist’s stupendous discography.

Favorite Tracks:
02 – Enter The Dragon ► 03 – Ghost Ship ► 04 – Layers of the City

Gonçalo Leonardo Quartet - East 97th

August 7, 2017

Label/Year: Robalo Music, 2017

Lineup - André Matos: guitar; Yago Vazquez: piano, Fender Rhodes; Gonçalo Leonardo: bass; Tommy Crane: drums.

Eschewing hypothetical startles and unnecessary intricacies, East 97th, the encouraging debut album by the Portuguese bassist Gonçalo Leonardo, provides agreeable listenings through the aggregation of well-composed textures within clarified structures. The record was recorded in New York, where Leonardo lived for a couple of years, and features an international quartet comprising the also Portuguese André Matos on guitar, Spanish Yago Vazquez on piano and Rhodes, and American Tommy Crane on drums.

“Ó Calma Que Vai Caindo”, a traditional Portuguese folk song, opens the session with uncompromising subtlety and contemporary vein. The breathable movements bestow a monochromatic tone and dreamlike feel that is prolonged till the end. You’ll find bountiful interchanges between guitar and piano, which are amassed rather than run over each other.

The folk genre is revisited once more on the penultimate track, "Just a Folk Song", an original by Leonardo that flows unhurriedly with a 3/4 time signature.

Another ternary piece on the album, "Spring Beat", evinces strong connotations with the pop/rock universe and its lingering sounds feel easy on the ear.

“Ahead” is probably the boldest piece and kicks in with a vamp in which lush piano voicings are thrown against a one-note guitar ostinato. Matos’ melodies are slightly reminiscent of Abercrombie’s “Spring Song” while the rhythmic pulse mutates to support the improvisations of Vazquez and the bandleader.

Advancing with a laid-back beat and influenced by Western music, “Easy Going” is pampered by a pair of inspired improvisations, first from Vasquez, whose bluesy approach flourishes with a few outside escapades and soulful motifs, and then from the adventurous Matos, who boasts an inventive vocabulary while denoting a skilful handling of the guitar-effect unit.

“Anthracite” burns initially with Crane’s exciting drumming before entering into a state of melancholic limbo. It gains a temporary swinging flow for less than half a minute as Vasquez timidly steps forward.

“Train Talk”, serving as a vehicle for the bassist’s free rambles, and “Loken”, designed with bubbling vibes and mysterious tones, are no more and no less than spontaneous collective improvisations.

With East 97th, Leonardo crosses genres with a strong aesthetic vision, unveiling his relaxed nature through enjoyable compositions. His ideas are vividly expressed with the help of likes that clearly understood his communication processes.

Favorite Tracks:
02 – Ahead ► 03 – Easy Going ► 05 – Spring Beat

Kevin Eubanks - East West Time Line

August 1, 2017

Label/Year: Mack Avenue Records, 2017

Lineup - Kevin Eubanks: guitar; Nicholas Payton: trumpet; Orrin Evans: piano, Rhodes; Dave Holland: bass; Jeff ‘Tain’ Watts: drums; Bill Pierce: saxophone; Rene Camacho: bass; Marvin ‘Smitty’ Smith: drums; Minu Cinelu: percussion.

It’s not uncommon to see the American guitarist Kevin Eubanks leaning on funk, soul, pop, and R&B to obtain the right flavors for his bending jazz style. Born in Philadelphia, Eubanks attained the peak of his career in the 80s, when he was part of the legendary Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers. In the 90s, and for 15 years, he became the bandleader of The Tonight Show With Jay Leno while making an effort to maintain his solo career alive. Eubanks is also a reliable sideman whose work goes from avant-garde (with Oliver Lake) to progressive post-bop (with Dave Holland and Billy Hart) to more traditional jazz (with Diane Reeves). Recently, he has set his guitar on fire in Orrin Evans’ #knowingishalfthebattle.

His new record, East West Time Line, is divided into two distinct parts, each of them comprising five tracks and a different band.
The first five tunes are all originals played in the company of amazing East Coast artists like Nicholas Payton on trumpet, Orrin Evans on piano and Rhodes, Dave Holland on bass, and Jeff ‘Tain’ Watts on drums.

The opening piece, “Time Line”, a bright, infectious fusion of post-bop and jazz-funk, bursts with a hard-swinging stamina and burning activity. The bandleader doesn’t waste time and shows off his advanced technique through the use of octaves, creamy harmonic sequences, intervallic erudition, and steadfast phrasing.

“Watercolors” is a 3/4 acoustic demonstration of musical faculty. It’s an Eubanks’ original composition despite carrying the same title and mood of Pat Metheny’s 1977 tune of the same name. Although the pace is not winged, there’s a palpable energy overflowing from the consonant arrangement and enhanced by Payton’s terrific solo.

The Fender Rhodes of Evans, whose chord progressions take us to the universes of pop and soul, dominates the first half of “Poet”. For the second half, he switches to acoustic piano, exuding tranquil sound waves with the contribution of Holland and Watts. A distinct intensity emanates from “Carnival”, a pulsating crossover jazz experience with two unequal passages.

Absent from the two tunes mentioned above, Payton returns for “Something About Nothing”, an atmospheric but still groovy funk-rock-jazz excursion.

The last five tunes are renditions of songs chosen from different musical spheres, featuring a West Coast band composed of saxophonist Bill Pierce (also a former Jazz Messenger), bassist Rene Camacho, drummer Marvin ‘Smitty’ Smith, and French percussionist Minu Cinelu.

They dug Ellington’s “Take The Coltrane” with a half-funky half-Latin feeling, Chick Corea’s “Captain Señor Mouse” with a hazy straight-ahead adhesive label affixed, and Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On” with happy vibes. However, it was through the moving standard “My One and Only Love”, where Pierce exceeded the limits of beauty in his improvisation, and the jazzified “Cubano Chant”, a tune of melodic slickness composed by Eubanks’ uncle, Ray Bryant, that the band captivated me the most in this second set.

Favorite Tracks:
01 – Time Line ► 02 – Watercolors ► 10 – My One and Only Love

Steve Nelson - Brothers Under The Sun

July 27, 2017

Label/year: HighNote Records, 2017

Lineup - Steve Nelson: vibraphone; Danny Grissett: piano; Peter Washington: bass; Lewis Nash: drums.

American vibraphonist Steve Nelson, an influential member in the sound shape of Dave Holland Quintet and Big Band for more than a decade, releases an album under his own name on HighNote Records. Brothers Under the Sun features experienced longtime associates Peter Washington on bass and Lewis Nash on drums, while pianist Danny Grissett, sitting in for the habitual Mulgrew Miller who passed away in 2013, rounds out the quartet.

In truth, this record is a tribute to the latter, whose style and sound merged beautifully with Nelson’s on several records. Some examples are Miller’s Wingspan and The Sequel, Lewis Nash’s Rhythm Is My Business, Sam Newsome’s Sam I Am, and Nelson’s Communications.

To open the session they pick “The More I See You”, a jewel of the Great American Songbook whose cool swinging flow doesn’t strike us as much as the more appetizing locomotion evinced in “Eastern Joy Dance”, the first of six vibrant tunes by Miller, a dignified, visionary composer.

The following piece, conveniently entitled “Grew’s Tune”, spreads an agreeable Herbie Hancock-ish post-bop scent and sparks with rhythmic accentuations, while “Soul-Leo” boasts a groovy vibrancy mixed with a slightly Latin touch, shifting to swing at the end of the B section before adopting an illustrative blues progression for the improvisations. A totally different mood is set up for “Samba D'Blue” where Brazilian delicacies are served up conjointly by Grissett, Washington, and Nash. In turn, Nelson focuses more on the melody, operating the mallets with dexterity to bring in his luxury phrasing.

Two originals were purposely composed to be part of this record and celebrate Miller’s music and friendship: the title track by the bandleader, and “Melody For Mulgrew” by Grissett, both post bop creations that dwell in the expectancy.
Language and rhythm are synonym of fluency and fluidity, respectively, being keys in Nelson’s music.

Miller, wherever he might be, is certainly thankful for Brothers Under the Sun, which is well-intentioned and aesthetically composed, yet unexceptional.

Favorite Tracks:
01 – The More I See You ► 02 – Eastern Joy Dance ► 03 – Grew’s Tune

Lars Danielsson - Liberetto III

July 27, 2017

Label/ Year: ACT, 2017

Lineup - Lars Danielsson: bass, cello, piano, guembri; Gregory Privat: piano; John Parricelli: guitar; Magnus Ostrom: drums + guests - Arve Henriksen: trumpet; Dominic Miller: guitar; Hussam Aliwat: oud; Björn Bohlin: english horn, oboe; Mathias Eick: trumpet.

// this review was originally published on LondonJazz News on May 30 //

Swedish bassist Lars Danielsson, a master of melodious lines within accessible musical textures, leads the third installment by Liberetto, an eclectic ensemble composed of guitarist John Parricelli, percussionist Magnus Öström and pianist Grégory Privat, who replaces Tigran Hamasyan.

Danielsson’s background is rich in fruitful collaborations, including recordings with Dave Liebman, Jon Christensen and Bobo Stenson - the members of his acclaimed quartet in the 1980s and ‘90s - as well as Jack DeJohnette, John Abercrombie, John Scofield and Rick Margitza.

Liberetto III opens with a softly meditative "Preludium" that spreads Oriental perfumes through a composed setting formed by acoustic guitar, feathery, strummed bass and the calm horn sounds projected by the special guests, Arve Henriksen on trumpet and Björn Bohlin on oboe d’amore. The latter switches to English horn on "Agnus Dei", which flows with diatonic freedom as it advances at an imperturbable moderate pace regulated by Öström’s brushed drums. Privat, who plays a vaporous Rhodes here, sticks to an ostinato while the theme is delivered simultaneously by the bandleader and muted trumpet.

If you’re looking for a pop tune that truly grooves, "Lviv" does it wonderfully, and with an odd time signature. The B section brings some Eastern influences, which are intensified by Danielsson’s expressive bass solo. Still tinged with Arabic colors, "Taksim by Night", a song retrieved from How Long Is Now, a trio album recorded last year, flourishes with the tunefulness of the oud's sounds. Hassam Aliwat, the oud player, also appears on "Sonata in Spain", a song whose passages are engraved with commercial pop melodies and wrapped in a flamenco aura.

Dawn Dreamer, a lyrical waltz drawn from classical and jazz genres, features Parricelli’s distorted guitar at the end. The guitarist shines again on "Gimbri Heart", soloing with a hypnotic, rockish devotion after we have been taken to Sub-Saharan African landscapes through the enlightening rhythm that sustains Henriksen’s slinky trumpet lines.

Danielsson also prepares three prayerful tone poems, "Orationi", in which he improvises before Henriksen matches his voice to the trumpet’s, leading "Da Salo", another waltz worthy of a minstrel, and the instinctively Nordic "Mr. Miller", which features Mathias Eick on trumpet, Sting’s guitarist Dominic Miller and Öström’s distinctive snare drumming.

"Barchidda", a ballad à-la Bill Evans, closes the album in a reflective way, culminating a long journey that has encompassed Western Europe, Turkey, the Arab Middle East and Africa.

Enriched with suave melodic improvisations (except for Parricelli, who seemed far more adventurous), Liberetto III shows discipline in its structure and relaxing warm tones. It is as much recommended for traveling as for chilling at home.

Favorite Tracks:
02 – Agnus Dei ► 09 – Gimbri Heart ► 10 – Mr. Miller