Javier Rosario Trio - A Celebration of Life

February 6, 2020

Label: Self produced, 2020

Personnel - Javier Rosario: electric and acoustic guitars; Scott Kiefner: bass; Zak King: drums.

Javier Rosario, a Dominican guitarist/composer with an inclination to mix jazz and rock idioms, got inspiration from another guitarist, the ever-explorative Joe Morris, to release his first album, A Celebration of Life. The guitarist benefits from the vast rhythmic avenues open up by his trio mates, bassist Scott Kiefner and drummer Zak King, over which he rides at variable speeds.

“Ghost Town” is a powerful opening tune, where the bandleader interweaves expressive voice leading, pungent chords, and crystalline harmonics with unflinching confidence. Following a clearly pronounced bass solo, Rosario plunges into a distorted metal-like spiral, whose broad dirty sound evolves until reaching the tidal chordal washes that conclude the piece.

“On The Road” is a less-than-two-minute rock exercise that anticipates “Improv”, a spontaneous diligence where fluxes of guitar energy are spilled over King's bickering drum work. Another guitar-drums partnership happens in “Shades of Grey Pt. 1”, a piece whose melodic conduction immediately brings Monk’s “In Walked Bud” into the mind. The second part of this composition incorporates bass and confers more freedom to the drummer.

Revealing a far more introspective side, “Transitions of the Heart” and “Changes of Heart” are solo acoustic guitar pieces delivered with some pathos and colored with a neo-romantic harmonic palette. The trio returns to the rocking ways on “Heading North”, where bass and drums operate in such a way to pass the idea of displacing tempo, and on the album’s closer “Passing Through (Dedicated to Ben)”, in which we find bass lines bouncing with a temperate Latin feel, cymbal-oriented drumming (especially during Kiefner’s soloing), and a punchy guitar work that attains a flammable point whenever fluidity and corrosion are increased.

Sketchy in some cases, these tunes are patterned with instinct and muscle. Even if they don’t completely knock me out, competence is all around for a favorable debut release.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Ghost Town ► 04 - Transitions of the Heart ► 09- Passing Through

The Dave Liebman Group: Expansions - Earth

February 5, 2020

Label: Whaling City Sound, 2020

Personnel - Dave Liebman: soprano saxophone; Matt Vashlishan: woodwinds; Bobby Avey: piano; Tony Marino: bass; Alex Ritz: drums, kanjira.

Top-notch hornman Dave Liebman reunites his adventurous multi-generational Expansion quintet - reedist Matt Vashlishan, pianist Bobby Avey, veteran bassist Tony Marino, and drummer Alex Ritz - to present a new suite called Earth. The album marks the fourth outing of the group, also being the fourth and last installment of Liebman’s element series, whose previous chapters were released in 1996 (Water), 2006 (Air), and 2016 (Fire) with different bands and configurations. Liebman, who composed each track on Earth with a specific interval in mind, rips through these earthly sceneries in a freewheeling fashion, devising ambitious electro-acoustic sonorities that push the envelope of conventional jazz.

“Earth Theme” bookends the album, going from vagueness to consistency, but it’s “Volcano/Avalanche” that instantly earns our attention through parallel lines based on intervals of sixth and effect-laden synth tapestries. Arranged with intelligence, this textural wizardry has its vision projected into the future, and to hear Liebman’s unquiet soprano rides over humming drones is like having an acid trip.

Strategically placed between the main compositions, there are interludes in a total of six. Each of them features a particular instrument or two. Take the case of the percussion/flute collaboration, which works as a perfect preamble for the desert-inspired “The Sahara”. Intervals of major and minor second confer the latter piece the desired exotic touch, yet the wind effects, bass trance, and corrosive synth chords create an ambiance of mystery that goes beyond the sky-and-sand landscape.

Whereas the more tranquil “Grand Canyon/Mt. Everest” makes use of Ritz’s fine brushwork to soar to the height of the mountainous regions that describes, “Concrete Jungle” lives in a wildly toxic swinging acceleration. With more angles than curves, this piece places a spotlight on Avey and then embarks on an animated call-and-response between Vashlishan and the bandleader.

“Dust to Dust” consists of a bunch of motifs echoed in sequence. If the attentive communication between the musicians is plainly expressed here, then it transcends expectations on the intoxicating “Galaxy”. The latter piece, previously introduced by wind synthesizer, falls into a sort of free funk pervaded with brisk and ebullient breakbeats, soprano madness, and mercurial electro-synth mosaics.

Not all the parts of Earth are at the same level, but this rich sensory experience is keen to captivate enthusiasts of jazz fusion and futuristic post-bop alike.

Favorite Tracks:
03 - Volcano/Avalanche ► 09 - Concrete Jungle ► 13 - Galaxy

Dave Holland / Zakir Hussain / Chris Potter - Good Hope

February 4, 2020

Label: Edition Records, 2019

Personnel - Dave Holland: double bass; Zakir Hussein: tabla; Chris Potter: tenor and soprano saxophones.

The incredible world fusion trio co-led by British bassist Dave Holland, Indian tabla expert and percussionist Zakir Hussain, and American saxophonist Chris Potter is in the active since 2018. When playing in this configuration, these virtuosos are collectively called Crosscurrents Trio and their debut record, Good Hope, is now out on Edition Records. The album comprises eight compositions, three from Holland, three from Potter, and two from Hussain. Each of them are individual, but they perfectly integrate here as a whole, to the point of making us think it could have been composed by only one person.

The combination of Indian classical and Western instrumentation comes immediately to our attention on the opening track, “Zindi”, where Holland and Hussain lay down a sumptuous baseline that serves Potter’s hybrid cooking, naturally infused with post-bop and Eastern seasoning.

The East-West-minded sensitivity is again strongly present in tunes such as “J Bhai”, delivered with an incantatory three time feel and promoting several shifts in tempo, and “Bedouin Trail”, which, while advancing with hypnotic rhythmic layers at a caravan-like pace, features Potter exchanging bars with his associates. This piece focuses on the traditional folk from South Asia.

Far more Westerner and post-bopper in nature, “Island Feeling” is perhaps the jazziest piece on the record, but can’t surpass the cross-cultural emotions of “Lucky Seven” and the title track. The former, penned by Holland, is an emissary of coruscating energy. Hussain initiates the ride with a complex tabla rhythm, with Holland interlocking a half-Indian, half-funk groove. The spirited, curvy high flies of Potter’s soprano come impregnated with rhythmic figures and chromaticism, with the tune ending in circular movement that emphasizes rhythmic accentuation. In turn, Potter’s “Good Hope” is all about the groove and the richness of interplay. The sidestepping improvisatory maneuvers from bass and saxophone contribute to elevate this piece into dizzy heights.

Good Hope offers a ripe set of music made by masters who bring myriad colors and influences into their playing. By navigating through exquisite series of textures and producing energizing chants, the trio calls up a potential range of beautiful, exotic images with these tunes. Listening to them is a phenomenal experience.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - J Bhai ► 03 - Lucky Seven ► 07 - Good Hope

Carla Bley / Andy Sheppard / Steve Swallow - Life Goes On

February 3, 2020

Label: ECM Records, 2020

Personnel - Carla Bley: piano; Steve Swallow: electric bass; Andy Sheppard: saxophones.

Pianist/composer Carla Bley forged an unprecedented path in the jazz world on account of exceptional creative capacities. Her quarter-century drum-less trio, which includes her husband, bassist Steve Swallow, and the British saxophonist Andy Sheppard, enriches the ECM catalogue with another disc, Life Goes On, the follow-up to Andando El Tiempo (2016). Effectively, Bley’s unique compositional lay outs translate into unmistakable sonic aesthetics delivered with elegance, strength, tenderness and wittiness.

This album is composed of three suites and opens with the title track, whose four distinct, poised and warmhearted parts suffuse an underlying magnificence that refuses excesses of any kind. The first of them, “Life Goes On”, is a pristine blues, early defined by Bley’s bass lines and with the melodic voice leading alternating between Swallow and Sheppard, two assured improvisers. The second part, “On”, is deliciously sluggish in its lyricism and a vehicle for Swallow and Bley’s gracious remarks. Already with Sheppard on board blowing the concluding theme statement, a spark of Monk’s “Ask Me Now” becomes clearer. After the waltzing third part - “And On” - there’s the last section, “And Then One Day”, which brings into my head another jazz classic. Harmonic movements similar to Lee Morgan’s “Totem Pole” seem to be transported here and filtered through the trio’s exclusive prism.

Inspired by Trump’s first observation on entering the Oval Office, Beautiful Telephones comprises three segments. The first of them is a piano-bass duet immersed in such pathos that impels Swallow to quote Chopin’s famous funeral march. The second part, mysterious and dreamy, contrasts with the more hopeful third, which, at the outset, includes a rhythmic piano-bass duality that feels more cohesive than disjointed. Bley and Swallow, knowing exactly when to lay back and when to push, have their emotionally-rich layers touch a tango-inspired literacy, effortlessly mingled with an instinctive swinging thrust.

The last suite, Copycat, starts as a soul-soothing ballad and ends as an elegant, dialoguing post-bop bliss shaped with unisons and cascading melody replications. This fine pulsing interplay is achieved with the help of a classic sense of time and privileged articulation.

Bley, Swallow and Sheppard engage on straightforward jazz narratives devoid of artificiality. This music is gripping and immensely fun.

Favorite Tracks:
04 - Life Goes On: IV. And Then One Day ► 07 - Beautiful Telephones: III ► 08 - Copycat: I. After You

Flash Reviews - AVA Trio / Secret Mall / Sonar

January 30, 2020

AVA TRIO - DIGGING THE SAND (Marocco Music, 2019)

Personnel - Giuseppe Doronzo: baritone sax, mizmar; East Ekincioglu: double bass; Pino Basile: percussion, cupaphon.

AVA Trio draws its routines from the world jazz genre and ancient folk, giving it a slightly avant-garde sense. The group’s members: Italian-born, Amsterdam-based baritone saxophonist Giuseppe Doronzo, Turkish bassist East Ekincioglu, and Swiss frame drum percussionist Pino Basile, a new addition, spread their eclectic influences (Anouar Brahem, Rabih Abou Khalil) across the eight compositions that compose their second album, Digging the Sand. You’ll find incantatory Eastern spells throughout, brought by ritualistic rhythms and the intervallic exoticism of specific scales. Yet, Western music elements are also present. Some tunes feel very riffery and would benefit from further outside travels and timbral variations. The record’s highlight is Doronzo’s “Fadiouth”, where polyphonic baritone drones on the outset and meaty articulations lead us to a 5/4 groove, but the divergent title track is also memorable due to the eerily dark droning, somber lines, and odd sonic practices with prepared double bass and cupaphon. [B]

SECRET MALL - SYSTEM 32 (Self Produced, 2019)

Personnel - Alfredo Colon: EWI; Edward Gavitt: guitar; Steve Williams: bass; Andres Valbuena: drums.

Secret Mall is a New York-based quartet with a gift to blend genres in an effortless way. The material of System 32, their sophomore full length album, consists of cohesive narratives with a keen awareness of style, texture, and space. The groups’s readiness stands out on pieces such as the easygoing “Dubai”, which boasts a strong bass presence, vivid soloing from EWI and guitar, and fragmented unison lines that create the necessary space to push the drummer to the center; “2007”, an affable, ripe crossover effort where the theme’s pop/rock melodicism is switched to bursts of funk during the improvisations; and “Delorean ’81”, an organic fusion plasticity affected by retro synth pop and feel-good smooth funk. Apart from the original compositions, you can hear trendy vibraphonist Joel Ross dishing out an effects-drenched solo interlude between the sluggish “Barking Like It’s 1999”, harmonically powered on occasion, and the blossomy closer, “Mononoke”, which arrives passionately covered in rock, funk, and electronic music. Strong levels of interplay are found everywhere. [B]

SONAR - TRANCEPORTATION VOL. I (RareNoise, 2019)

Personnel - David Torn: electric guitar, live looping; Stephan Thelen: tritone guitar; Bernhard Wagner: tritone guitar; Christian Kuntner: tritone bass; Manuel Pasquinelli: drums, percussion.

Tranceportation Vol.1 marks the second collaboration between the Swiss group Sonar and American guitarist/producer David Torn. The follow-up to Vortex might not be as enthralling as its predecessor, but is still a fitting album, systematically arranged with multi-layered post-rock textures, looping phrases, odd-metered tritone cycles, and strong rhythmic pulses. The clinical guitar work on “Labyrinth” is expanded with looming attacks of distortion, while the instrumentation on “Partitions” is relentlessly implemented with a pedal-like groove. The slow-burner “Red Sky” makes subtle adjustments in its ambient electro-rock demarcations and brings crying guitar licks to the forefront. In turn, the prog-rock exertion “Tunnel Drive” ends the recording with acerbic, funky guitar fragments on top of the dynamic bass/drums coalition. This is great for those seeking a more cerebral kind of listening experience. [B]

The Comet Is Coming - The Afterlife

January 29, 2020

Label: Impulse! Records, 2019

Personnel - Shabaka Hutchings: saxophone; Dan Leavers: synth; Max Hallett: drums, percussion.

The leader of Sons of Kemet, Shabaka Hutchings also leads The Comet Is Coming under the pseudonym of King Shabaka. This London-based trio, which includes Dan Leavers on synthesizers and Max Hallett on drums, releases its third full-length album, the second for the legendary Impulse! label.

Following quickly on the heels of Trust in the Lifeforce of Deep Mystery and despite has been created at the same time, The Afterlife doesn’t have the same boldness and hallucinogenic effect of its antecedent. Way more controlled, Shabaka’s discursive ideas still ignite some cosmic fire here, with the band deftly juggling elements of jazz, funk, electronica, and rock.

The opener, “All That Matters is the Moments”, has the prophetic voice of Joshua Idehen announcing ‘the comet is coming / Babylon burned down / our time has come / our clock has run down’. This is placed on top of trancing electronic synths and beseeching saxophone prayers. Yet, the tune builds up to a rock-infused section with a strong thematic riff and a ritualistic Afro rhythm with a tinge of hip hop.

While “The Softness of the Present” rises from the mist to settle in an unexciting ambient electronica, the title track inflicts the atmosphere with a mix of airiness and tightness. Expect synth-soaked layers, droning sounds, steady tribal beat, and circular sax riffs.

Using both space and dynamics favorably, the group devises “Lifeforce” as two distinct four-minute parts. The first one feels like a mythological spiritual journey, but everything glides back to the Earth on the second, via a danceable electro-funk, more in the line of the hit “Summon the Fire”.

“The Seven Planetary Heavens” concludes the session with a simple and soft electronic preparation that, by the end, sees its beat reshaped with a three time feel.

Jazz purists won’t go this way, but admirers of eclectic modern music may want to dive into the hybrid, apocalyptic sonic pool of The Comet.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - All That Matters is the Moments ► 04 - Lifeforce Part I ► 06 - The Seven Planetary Heavens

Dave Sewelson - More Music For a Free World

January 28, 2020

Label: Mahakala Records, 2020

Personnel - Dave Sewelson: baritone saxophone; Steve Swell: trombone; William Parker: acoustic bass; Marvin Bugalu Smith: drums.

Throughout the three spontaneously composed tracks that constitute his new album More Music For a Free World, baritone saxophonist Dave Sewelson blows with muscular authority, exploring the fleshy tones of his instrument. For this outing, the follow-up to the 2018 Music For a Free World, he teams up again in the frontline with the adventurous trombonist Steve Swell, and they both ride through the dynamic rhythms and bouncy grooves laid down by bassist William Parker and drummer Marvin Bugalu Smith.

“Memories” starts off with the vigorous reedy/brassy coalition intersecting low-intoned rhythmic figures and hefty expressions of rebelliousness. The rhythm section offers freedom, tension, tonally static grooves, and occasional swinging rides that incite the horn interplay to go on, whether in the form of shared ideas, call-and-response scenarios, or individual statements. Although burning hot, the atmosphere contracts a little, allowing a logical dialogue between drummer and bassist. Yet, a collective expansion takes place at the end, where baritone growls and multiphonic trombone call-outs get on the same page.

Clocking in at 27 minutes, “Dreams” is the longest track on the album and provides an absolutely delightful experience. The agile percussive chops open the curtain, fearless bowed bass incisions announce pensive trombone deliberations, and lastly, Sewelson steps in, infusing the setting with a raucous tension. The two horn players maintain a straight communication, often swapping positions within the pitch range. There’s a quieter passage with more implosions than explosions before an Afro-Latin pulse sparkles to set the horns in flames. A marching strut with timbral contrasts and robust swinging exaltations anticipate the intelligible bluesy ending, whose deep groove is warmly affecting. Parker and Smith, working in an edgier mode, are true to their creative natures.

The closing piece, “Reflections”, is introduced by an expressive, wide-ranging solitary baritone, evolving into a strange ritual composed of beautifully designed layers. The quartet creates mystery through motifs and frictions, as well as breathy discharges and long notes.

Whether playing in a tight and controlled way or plunging into wild spirited romps, Sewelson’s quartet manifests freely what they have inside, striking a well-honed balance between raw improv and demarcated structure. Free jazzers have here another driving force to connect with.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Dreams ► 03 - Reflections

Quost / Ali / Harris - Dawá

January 27, 2020

Label: Amalgam, 2020

Personnel - Timotheé Quost: trumpet, electronics; Ishmael Ali: cello, guitar, electronics; Bill Harris: drums, electronics.

Paris-based trumpeter Timotheé Quost, Chicago/NY-based cellist/guitarist Ishmael Ali, and Chicago-based drummer Bill Harris are adepts of long-form improvisation. Their first recording, Dawá, showcases the complexity of their sounds, which exist beyond genre or convention. Free improvisation fuses with conspicuous electronic rudiments, leading to three structurally unpredictable tracks delivered with explorative momentum and textural panache.

The eventful “Capsaicin” squeezes in tingling digital noises, cluttered rhythms, and trumpet’s squeaks, cackles, and air notes into an intensive sound design. Continuous, pitch-swooping interferences accompany both the pizzicato and the arco cello explorations. Terse trumpet murmurs develop into complete phrases and fixed rhythmic ideas fly atop avalanche-style drumming and guitar textures outlined by strumming and plucking techniques. The sounds made me picture curious chemical reactions.

Usually opting for dismembered and shapeless forms, it’s pretty clear that the trio’s sense of epiphany lives from a free flow combination of disparate sounds rather than any sort of lyrical approach. “Camphor” proves what I’ve just said by lingering a long time in this singular enigmatic world where sequential metallic noises and electrified drones with impulse interference stimulate our imagination. The ebbs and flows on the last third of this piece accumulate free jazz shapes with no tempo concerns. That’s when Quost’s ostinati and casual phrasing ramble through the irregular undulations provided by active cello and frisky drum charges. Percussive blowouts help expanding strong electromagnetic fields in the piece's concluding segment.

Despite of the chirping sounds and high-pitched arco cello scrapes at the outset, “Claret” seems to have been influenced by heavy industrial sounds. The busy scenario is built upon lashing rhythms, insistent noises, and prolonged beeps. At some point, you have mallet drumming profundity supporting the trumpet’s extended techniques, but in the final moments, it’s Ali’s eccentric open guitar chords in contrapuntal communication with Harris’ effusive snare drum attacks that support vagabond trumpet lines.

Consistently interactive, the trio applies refreshingly unfamiliar ingredients to their electro-acoustic abrasions, playing them with both moderation and asperity as convenient. It’s a fact that some phases work better than others, but overall, this record should please listeners trying to escape conventions.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Capsaicin ► 03 - Claret

Jim Snidero - Project-K

January 23, 2020

Label: Savant, 2020

Personnel - Jim Snidero: alto saxophone; Dave Douglas: trumpet; Orrin Evans: piano; Do Yeon Kim: gayageum; Linda May Han Oh: bass; Rudy Royston: drums.

Everyone knows how hard American saxophonist Jim Snidero can push his music into pleasant hard-bop and post-bop territory. As a disciple of tradition, he is a musician of reference for many others, a truly inspiration on how to play jazz passionately and structurally. However, his new outing on the Savant imprint, Project-K, breaks preconceptions, presenting a totally new facet in the way he composes and arranges. Inspired by the culture, philosophy and history of South Korea, this new music adds an unprecedented contemporary vibe to his music, capable of surprising and enchanting. The stellar sextet behind the achievement includes the resourceful trumpeter Dave Douglas, The Bad Plus’ pianist Orrin Evans, solid bassist Linda May Han Oh, and highly-sensitive drummer Rudy Royston. Rounding out the group is Korean gayageum player Do Yeon Kim, who assists in providing a strong exotic touch to a few tunes. Gayageum is a Korean traditional stringed instrument that sounds like a zither.

On the opening track, “Han”, he seems to tip his hat to Wayne Shorter and his “Footprints”, coloring the bright melodic paths with some cool rhythmic ideas. His porous tones contrast with those of the muted trumpet played by Douglas, and it’s Evans who concludes the section meant for improvisation. The pianist grooves with elasticity as the horn section adorns with terse, spiky rhythmic accents.

“DMZ” (referencing the Korean Demilitarized Zone) is my favorite tune on the record. It starts audaciously with eery gayageun percussive sounds - sweeps, crawls, and some metallic disturbance - and ends vibrantly stately with the collective sounding as compact as a big band. Two types of grooves flutter below the surface, one from the theme statement and another to underpin the solos. A peak moment is achieved when the smoking-hot frontline exchanges thoughts with zest.

Despite of its possibly misleading title, “Jeju” has nothing in common with Shorter’s “Juju”, apart from the 3/4 tempo. It’s rather a sonic depiction of the Korean Jeju Island. With a relaxed posture, it sounds very folksy due to the strong melodic presence of the gayageum. Also a waltz, but played at a faster tempo, “Jenga” is a jazzy reading of a pop hit by Korean singer Heize. By the end, one can enjoy eight-bar tradeoffs between the drummer and the soloists.

The commutative phrases between sax and trumpet on “Seoulful” complement the main theme. They feel like symmetric ideas rebounding in tandem. After a swinging original titled “Goofy”, a path travelled by the bandleader so many times before, the CD ends with the tranquil repose of the Korean folk song “Han O Bak Nyun”.

Bristling with jazz brio and Korean traditions, Project-K seamlessly connects two different worlds into a coherent whole. This is a wide, pivotal step in Snidero’s efforts to give his career a new direction.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Han ► 02 - DMZ ► 06 - Seoulful

Jen Curtis / Tyshawn Sorey - Invisible Ritual

January 22, 2020

Label: Tundra / New Focus Recordings, 2020

Personnel: Jen Curtis: violin; Tyshawn Sorey: piano, percussion.

Here’s what I call a perfect musical match. Invisible Ritual brings together violinist/composer Jen Curtis, a member of the International Contemporary Ensemble, whose technique is awe-inspiring, with multi-instrumentalist/composer Tyshawn Sorey, heralded as one of the leading jazz innovators of our times.

Funneling their advanced musical practices into eight spontaneously composed movements, these open-minded artists subvert standards and provide new genre-defying perspectives by employing a sublime symposium of timbres and sound combinations in their music.

“I” exudes a tremendous avant-folk spell. Curtis strums, bows and plucks with edginess and power while Sorey responds with precision and brio. His unpredictable accompaniment, filled with true grit, allows him to whether make the drums pounding irregularly, rocking with some more form, or simply react with instinctive yet logical ideas.

The motivic-filled “II” alternates forward-moving thrust with calmer Eastern-flavored inspirations; it ends with peaceful flute-like tones and understated percussion. In turn, “IV” stresses strong rhythmic accentuations and turns loose motifs that can be simultaneously lustrous and rasping in tone. A powerful combination of mosaics drawn from classical, avant-garde jazz, rock and folk is on display, while synchronization, integration and reaction play key roles. In this particular movement, we have Sorey’s powerful drumming exploding with a superior sense of groove, occasionally adorned with inventive stunts for a grandiose effect. This piece marks a peak in the duo’s effortless communication.

Sorey is also extremely talented on the piano, and several pieces demonstrate his deep understanding of harmony, usually designed with quirky combinations of chord extensions. Take the examples of “III”, patiently sculpted with dreamy harmonic ambiguity and ghostly fiddling technique in the form of insistent hurried plucks and long multiphonic bows; “V”, whose balletic movements bring both circular and free-flowing activity to the table; and “VI”, a contemplative, lyrical offering where the piano breathes and the violin soothes. The record ends with a violin composite of veiled glissandos, bending plucks, and shrilling bowed notes in consonance with a panoply of percussive sounds, from gongs to chimes to vibes.

Probing with finesse and depth, the duo shows off an invulnerable musical affinity that makes me want to hear more. Invisible Ritual offers beautiful, incantatory moments and a great deal of outstanding playing.

Favorite Tracks:
I ► III ► IV

Rob Brown Quartet - From Here to Hear

January 20, 2020

Label: RogueArt, 2019

Personnel - Rob Brown: alto sax; Steve Swell: trombone; Chris Lightcap: bass; Chad Taylor: drums.

Since the 80’s, alto saxophonist Rob Brown has been a significant presence in the New York’s avant-garde and free jazz scenes. He made a name for himself as a regular member of William Parker’s In Order to Survive and Quartet, as well as collaborations with virtuosic pianist Matthew Shipp. As a leader, he usually opts for the quartet format, and it’s precisely in the latter context that we can hear him blowing the six self-penned tunes that comprises the new album, From Here to Hear, his third outing on the French RogueArt imprint.

The peculiar tones produced on his alto sax convey a false sense of disjunction, while trombonist Steve Swell, always dynamic and supportive, appears in the frontline as the perfect ally. Both benefit from the spectacular rhythm team of bassist Chris Lightcap and drummer Chad Taylor, which provides them the sturdy infrastructures on top of which they create freely and passionately.

The saxophonist guarantees a varied approach from one selection to another, and “Anticipation” kicks off the album with a theme statement delivered in unison, dark bass delineations, stark percussive clarity, and the expansive vocabulary of the horn players. There’s enough surface friction to escape any type of sterility, and “Irascible Angel” displays that fact in its introduction, where written and improvised lines mingle with fine timbral quality prior to a corpulent swinging groove is definitely planted. This expedite motion triggers a bouncing solo from Lightcap and a stirring section where sax and trombone trade licks.

Whereas “Hard Call” boasts another pulse that uncannily swings with an eccentric, pungent touch, another kind of groove, more insouciant and in the verge of a trance, is offered on “Lingering”, a passionate dance in seven, which, despite of its nuclear smoothness, is heavily stimulated by Brown’s growling cries. In contrast, Swell brings more melody into his statement here, just to splatter rapid-lines again on “Strolling and Stumbling”, a piece also marked by the rumbling and thwacking of bass and drums.

In defiance of the discipline proposed by the main themes and structure, the pieces embrace an improvisational spontaneity and freshness throughout. Even operating in particularly calculated environments, as it happens in the grayish closing piece “Cautiously Hopeful”, the group delivers.

Rob Brown remains an artist to watch and this album stresses that his mature music is more exciting than ever.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Anticipation ► 02 - Irascible Angel ► 04 - Lingering

Flash Reviews - Branford Marsalis Quartet / Terri Lyne Carrington / Hiromi

January 16, 2020

BRANFORD MARSALIS QUARTET - THE SECRET BETWEEN THE SHADOW AND THE SOUL (OKeh Records, 2019)

Personnel - Branford Marsalis: saxophone; Joey Calderazzo: piano; Eric Revis: double bass; Justin Faulkner: drums.

Saxophonist Branford Marsalis is back with The Secret Between The Shadow And The Soul, another quartet effort with regular collaborators. Cultivating their post-bop artistry with passion, the group starts big, energizing aplomb through the mercurial intensity of “Dance Of The Evil Toys”, an Eric Revis-penned burner where the bandleader navigates the chords with breakneck phrases filled with off-kilter intervals and fierce hooks. The bassist contributes another piece, “Nilaste”, more prone to ambiguity and open form, while pianist Joey Calderazzo wrote “Cianna”, a bolero infusion with resplendent melody, and a gently brushed ballad called “Conversation Among The Ruins”. Also with balladic tones, there’s Marsalis’ “Life Filtering From The Water Flowers”, a piece dedicated to his late mother, but the peak moments arrive with outstanding covers of hip tunes from the 70’s: Andrew Hill’s “Snake Hip Waltz”, which spotlights Calderazzo in a swinging solo that pulls Charlie Parker in, and Keith Jarrett’s “The Windup”, professed with stirring solos at a burning tempo. [A]

TERRI LYNE CARRINGTON & SOCIAL SCIENCE - WAITING GAME (Motéma, 2019)

Personnel includes - Terri Lyne Carrington: drums; Debo Ray: vocals; Rapsody: vocals; Kassa Overall: turntables, vocals; Kokayi: vocals; Meshell Ndegeocello: vocals; Nicholas Payton: trumpet; Morgan Guerin: bass, saxophone; Aaron Parks: piano, keyboards; Matthew Stevens: guitar; Derrick Hodge: bass; Esperanza Spalding: bass; and more.

Grammy-winning drummer and bandleader, Terri Lyne Carrington, has in the double-album Waiting Game a fresh new chapter in her endeavor to fight the injustices of the world. She leads an ensemble of protest called Social Science, whose music harnesses elements of jazz, hip-hop, R&B, funk, rock, and contemporary classical. The groove-laden disc one is crammed with pertinent spoken word and vocal moments, and features a number of guests. Two of the highlights, “Trapped In the American Dream” and “The Anthem” were co-penned by pianist Aaron Parks, who joined forces with MC Kassa Overall on the former tune and the rapper Rapsody on the latter. Guitarist Matthew Stevens showcases his smoky guitar chops throughout, while singer Debo Ray gives an R&B touch to Joni Mitchell’s “Love” and the balladic title track. You can also hear Nicholas Payton’s trumpet dialoguing and soaring over the African-tinged pulse of “Pray the Gay Away”. Disc two is a completely different story, where the bandleader dives into an exploratory four-movement suite titled “Dreams and Desperate Measures” with chamber-esque avant-garde moves and fascinating funk-rock momentum. Bassist Esperanza Spalding and string orchestrator Edmar Colon are the suite’s guests, contributing to a record that blends musical styles and social message into an exciting package. [B+]

HIROMI - SPECTRUM (Telarc Records, 2019)

Personnel - Hiromi Uehara: piano.

Undoubtedly talented, the Japanese pianist Hiromi Uehara expertly blends classical and jazz elements into her fascinating solo playing, a practice that frees her up to fly whimsically on Spectrum, her 11th studio album. All the virtuosic glow comes from a sort of dancing duel between her left and right hand, which serves to create oneiric moments (“Whiteout”) as well as forceful rhythmic thrusts (like on the blues-meets-rock’n’roll “Yellow Wurlitzer Blues”, and “Mr. C.C”, a retro ride into Charlie Chaplin’s universe). In addition to seven original compositions (highlights are “Kaleidoscope”, where vivacious rhythmic fluxes help defining dazzling variations, and the title track, with all its busy roundabouts), she reimagines a classic from The Beatles (“Blackbird”) and delivers a 22-minute Gershwin medley (“Rhapsody in Various Shades of Blue”) containing a large number of other identifiable musical suggestions. Brimming with free-roaming imagination, Spectrum is a vehicle for Hiromi’s numerable ideas and hybridism. [A-]

Nick Dunston - Atlantic Extraction

January 15, 2020

Label: Out of Your Head Records, 2019

Personnel - Nick Dunston: double bass, vocals; Louna Dekker-Vargas: flutes, piccolo; Ledah Finck: violin, viola; Tal Yahalom: guitar; Stephen Boegehold: drum set.

Brooklyn-based bassist/composer Nick Dunston’s debut album, Atlantic Extraction, translates into a capable, lopsided modern chamber-esque work designed with both conformity and obliquity, symmetry and shapelessness. Although unconventional, the instrumentation is utterly appealing thanks to the energy channeled by the kindred spirits on the album: flutist Louna Dekker-Vargas, violinist Ledah Finck, guitarist Tal Yahalom, and drummer Stephen Boegehold.

“Tattle Snake” initiates its seven-and-a-half-minute ride with a brushed drum solo introduction before unison lines show up to define the main statement. A middle passage glues deep cuts of bowed bass and violin interjections, and the strong bass-drums coalition prepares the terrain for intrepid guitar inflections. The quintet often brings elements of surprise into the game, and if “Dunsterlude” dives into melancholy, then “Delirious Delicacies” highlights energizing atonal violin streaks on top a fast-paced tapestry that gradually decelerates. A magnetic groove is then firmly placed and Yahalom’s guitar dances to this sort of samba with virtuosic vividness.

While Appalachian folk melodies clash into modern rhythms on “S.S. Nemesis”, “Vicuña” has a whispering modern classical abstraction bookending a middle section marked by a sturdy groove and adventurous guitar explorations.

Spread amidst this variety of longer, well-written tunes there are short erudite collages and string solos, whose tonal constancy is greater than the one presented on the mutable “Globular Weaving” and “Contraband Peanut Butter”. The former presents dissonant guitar strokes as a perfect foil for the dulcet flute, and combines lucid percussion and sweeping string work into an imminent cacophony; the latter, occasionally shaken by a mild contrapuntal activity, promotes an inexorable combination of avant-garde jazz, calm chamber reflections, and looping odd-metered rocking groove.

The offbeat “A Rolling Wave of Nothing” features Dunston on vocals, whereas “Zoochosis”, a piece that seems to draw from Henry Threadgill's sonic universe, grabs us by the collar and pulls us in.

This quintet has been around for a while and this recording shows off the fruits of their strong rapport and fierce commitment. Dunston’s music immerses the listeners in a world of ambiguity, scoring big with the aggregation of both written and spontaneous ideas. Atlantic Extraction is a wonderful debut from a qualified young bass player from whom we expect even more in the future.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Tattle Snake 04 - Delirious Delicacies 16 - Contraband Peanut Butter

Tomeka Reid Quartet - Old New

January 14, 2020

Label: Cuneiform Records, 2019

Personnel - Tomeka Reid: cello; Mary Halvorson: guitar; Jason Roebke: double bass; Tomas Fujiwara: drums.

American cellist Tomeka Reid, a recent member of the renovated Art Ensemble of Chicago, has emerged as one of the most original voices in the avant-garde scene with memorable collaborations in projects by saxophonist Roscoe Mitchell, cornetist Taylor Ho Bynum, flutist Nicole Mitchell, and drummer Mike Reed. But don't think she earned credit exclusively from her work as a sidewoman since, as a leader, she outputted two wonderful quartet albums. Four years after her eponymous quartet release on the Thirsty Ear label, she appears on the Cuneiform Records with Old New, a record informed by musical eclecticism and featuring her longtime associates Mary Halvorson on guitar, Jason Roebke on bass, and Tomas Fujiwara on drums.

The title track starts off the session, loping with an infectious rhythmic verve created by Fujiwara and Roebke. The bassist's bouncing lines sometimes rest on surgical pedals, and the unorthodox melodies offered by the ladies make the fire burn. Their taut maneuvers can easily convert delicately punctuated expressions into wildly kinetic commotions.

Equally erupting with energy, “Niki’s Bop”, written for the inspiring Nicole Mitchell, denotes intelligible bop-oriented lines over the marching snare drum that paves the way. Dazzling melodic ideas flutter from the guitar and cello, repeating, echoing, and interacting with purpose until being renewed by new motifs. This is strangely liberating.

Enlivened by an adventurous groove, “Wabash Blues” explores unison lines before we hear Reid’s ingeniously warped entanglements. Yet, our attention becomes more and more fixated on Halvorson, who gets the things grooving with a smart comping and then takes off on an out-of-this-world atonal improvisation. Quirkier and more abstract is the percussive cello-drums introduction of “Aug. 6”, which evolves into an exulted sort of Afro dance peppered with elements of avant-garde, funk, and rock. It ends beautifully.

Tradition is scattered throughout and that’s pretty evident on tunes such as “Sadie”, an old-time swinger that Reid penned for her maternal grandmother, and “RN”, where enveloping sounds overcome the challenge of giving a new perspective to pop music, a genre she admires.

Crafted with an attractive electro-acoustic sound, Old New blends past and future with an open spirit, balancing softer approaches with cathartic spontaneity. It’s instantly likable.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Old New ► 03 - Niki’s Bop ► 04 - Aug. 6

John Zorn - The Hierophant

January 13, 2020

Label: Tzadik, 2019

Personnel - Brian Marsella: piano; Trevor Dunn: bass; Kenny Wollesen: drums.

The Hierophant is a collection of John Zorn compositions performed by a tight classic piano trio composed of Brian Marsella on piano, Trevor Dunn on bass and Kenny Wollesen on drums. Active for 40 years, the prolific Zorn has earned his stripes as one of the most creative composers of our times and this album, inspired by the mystic world of tarot, gives us another reason to be head over heels for his music.

The title cut sets everything in motion as a fervent, kinetic, turbulently swinging post-bop effort where impetuous piano notes race across the harmony. Its progressive vision is shared by the longest track, “The Hanged Man”, one of my favorite compositions. Here, the artistry of the trio is demonstrated with intense moments loaded with serial spinning movements, challenging rhythms, and pronounced accentuations. Also noticeable is a passage where Wollesen’s burgeoning mallet percussion comes to the fore, pinned by regular hi-hat intermittence.

Contrasting with the described atmosphere, there’s the surreptitious avidity of “The Devil”, a sheer avant-garde experience with weirdly scratching bass noises, patterned piano convolutions, and expandable drumming. “The Death” also falls into this darker category, presenting spine-chilling prepared piano strokes and oppressive arco bass, whereas “The Hermit”, a showcase for Marsella’s solo piano, has its improvised sense of mystery regularly disrupted by heavy, low-pitched chordal routines.

A mindset of reverie is not only achieved by the illusory kind of waltz delivered on “The High Priestess”, which combines beaming pianism, assured bass lines, and scintillating brushed drums, but also by the classical arpeggiated nuances of “The Magician”.

After the relentless, hard-swinging “The Tower”, where the rhythm bounces and melodic ideas collide, the trio rounds out the proceedings with “The Lovers”, a breezy, passionate, and rapturous treat with the capacity to urge us into a daydream state of mind.

The Hierophant perfectly integrates scored parts with intense moments of improvisation, and its expansive directions are no less than breathtaking. The variety of the picturesque moods results in an exciting and adventurous listening experience.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - The Hierophant ► 02 - The High Priestess ► 06 - The Hanged Man

Gordon Grdina's Nomad Trio

January 9, 2020

Label: Skirl Records, 2020

Personnel - Gordon Grdina: guitar, oud; Matt Mitchell: piano; Jim Black: drums.

Very active as a leader in recent times, Canadian guitarist/oud player Gordon Grdina hones his ingenious musicianship by playing with two other masters of texture and improvisation, keyboardist Matt Mitchell and drummer Jim Black. The trio’s first record comes out on the genre-defying Brooklyn-based label Skirl Records.

The trio’s love of freedom is showcased from the start, with the album’s opener, “Wildlife”, searching invariably in its attempt to sonically portray animals in their natural habitat. Expect discordant dialogues, intriguing rhythmic fluxes with spasmodic accents, and well-designed multi-shaped figures that juxtapose to create electronic-like textures that quickly shift and merge with free improvisation and hard rock punch. A softer ambiance hinged on arpeggiated piano and low-profile drum work is reserved for the final section.

Just like the haunting “Benbow”, whose writing was inspired by an exceptional stay in a historic Northern California hotel, “The Nomad” brings out the rawness of Grdina’s acoustic guitar right off the bat. After that solo moment, it lands on a forward-pushing motion that makes your body want to move. Mitchell’s nimble explorations on the lower register find Black’s drumming at its most vivid. I’m talking about a cathartic rocking blast that will get you breathless.

A flow of cross-linked ideas runs from “Ride Home”. Mitchell assures the walking bass trajectory, with Black fluctuating the tempo according to his own whims. He becomes hyperactive in the final part with a succession of kick drum explosions that wouldn’t sound displaced in a metal music number. Grdina’s intensity is preponderant in the concluding crescendo.

“Thanksgiving” starts off with beautifully intoned percussive patterns that eventually stabilize into a well-rounded groove. Mitchell’s demanding left-hand circularity doesn’t dissuade him from joining the guitarist in punchy unisons or stretching out in the upper registers. Sometimes sounding like a delicate Eastern dance, sometimes like a twanging polyrhythmic rock disarray, this is another slap-on-your-face piece. All that high-voltage energy is turned into a devotional meditation on the closing “Lady Choral”. This is the only opportunity for us to indulge in the virtuosic oud playing of the bandleader, whose migratory digresses are stunning.

After listening to all six explorative manifestations that compose Nomad Trio's first outing, we just want to go all over again and deepen our discoveries. Adventurous new material is always welcome.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - The Nomad ► 05 - Thanksgiving ► 06 - Lady Choral

Tim Stine Quartet - Knots

January 8, 2020

Label: Clean Feed, 2019

Personnel - Tim Stine: guitar; Nick Mazzarella: alto saxophone; Matt Ulery: bass; Quin Kirchner: drums.

Guitarist Tim Stine, who hails from Chicago, has a passion for intricate textures and manifests a unique expressiveness that feels exquisitely natural. Upon the release of a couple of recordings in trio, he now puts together an acoustic quartet with new cohorts Nick Mazzarella on alto saxophone, Matt Ulery on bass, and Quin Kirchner on drums.

Exclusively containing originals, Knots marks his debut on the avant-jazz-focused label Clean Feed and kicks in with an extravagant 3/4 piece titled “SH8”. The adhered lines oozed from the acoustic guitar and saxophone take wing, thriving with a contemporary folk tinge and angular jazz quality. They benefit from the astute rhythmic interplay established by Ullery and Kirchner.

Taking into account the integration of space through shifting passages, “Fred Waltzing” follows a quasi-automated routine that distills into sluggish unisons. Kirchner’s brushing is imbued of a fervent passion, while the bandleader combines rhythmic audacity and harmonic dissonance in his playing.

The melodic conductivity of “Knots” gets knotted by stubborn notes that repeat, dragging the rhythm section out of its locomotion. Mazzarella, eloquent and spellbinding while discoursing, produces empathic waves all the way through. If the saxophonist expresses thoughts with freedom and pulse on this one, then on the Violent Femmes-like folk-rock “Trempealeau”, it’s Ulery who has the word. Along with the drummer, he sets sparser, more serene tones on “Quietus” and “Ride Wild Rides”, which don’t really classify as ballads.

After a chattering percussive demonstration on “Gearth”, the album comes to an end with “Kjallstert”, where the incipient understated guitar comping contrasts with the tension of Mazzarella’s solo. This tune serves as a point of collision between indie rock and avant-jazz.

Despite the offbeat sonic frames, Knot follows a methodology that never makes for a disjointed listening. Boasting its own kind of groove, this is an engaging record that will draw you into the group’s atypical sonic world.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - SH8 ► 02 - Knots ► 08 - Kjallstert

Matana Roberts - Coin Coin Chapter Four: Memphis

January 7, 2020

Label: Constellation Records, 2019

Personnel - Matana Roberts: alto saxophone, clarinet, spoken word, vocals; Hannah Marcus: guitars, fiddle, accordion; Sam Shalabi: electric guitar, oud; Nicolas Caloia: bass; Ryan Sawyer: drumset, vibraphone, jaw harp, bells + guests - Steve Swell: trombone; Ryan White: vibraphone.

The originality of saxophonist/composer Matana Roberts is on display in the fourth chapter of her work-in-progress Coin Coin project, a musical exploration of history, memory and ancestry. Memphis is a fierce manifesto delivered with true vision and spiritual force; a voyage through time into the mystical American roots, where invocations of African spirituals, the blues, gospel hymns, and folk music, are essential elements of contemporary experimentations grounded in the avant-garde and free jazz genres.

After the solo effort that was chapter three, this new installment features a distinguished cast of musicians that project a lot of direct passion and energy into our hearts, including new polyvalent collaborators Hanna Marcus (guitars, fiddle and accordion) and Ryan Sawyer (drums, vibraphone, jaw harp, bells). Explorative guitarist/oud player Sam Shalabi and double bassist Nicolas Caloia, both hailing from Montreal, round out a powerful core quintet that is sporadically augmented with special guests.

The opening number, “Jewels of the Sky: Inscription”, sets the tone with deep, meditative chants and illuminated sax prayers stepping on a tortuous road opened by distorted guitars. A frantic snare drum makes “As Far As Eyes Can See” bubble for a bit while surrounded by guttural horn pleads and exclamations. Ephemeral, this section quickly dissolves into another mantric pulse led by the jaw harp. Matana’s spoken word is so powerful here, metaphorically related to segregation.

“Trail of the Smiling Sphinx” includes snippets of old folk tunes, namely, “Paddy On the Turnpike” and “Cold Frosty Morning”. The pace changes via effortless transitions and the textural aesthetics includes the pungent brassy romps of guest trombonist Steve Swell in addition to a thrumming guitar and riffing sax. That’s before Marcus’ fiddle suggests an animated, quasi-cacophonous dance. By the end, Matana’s words return in the company of those recurring droning sounds.

Initially disjointed by consecutive melodic fragments, “Piddling” finds a secure path to thrive in the synchronous movements that arrive next, while “Wild Fire Bare” burns in intensity with free sax romps, eccentric electric guitar chops, and natural folk melodies forming arcs of timbres that vibrate in mesmeric motion. Nothing dampens its punch.

A state-of-the-art identity is passed to the melodies of popular American songs. Hence, an untangled arrangement of W.C. Handy’s “St. Louis Blues” is offered on “Fit To Be Tied”, yet its premise sounds like a slow mournful fanfare. “Her Mighty Waters Run”, a beautiful reading of “Roll the Old Chariot Along” features an impeccable vocal arrangement carried with the help of singers Thierry Amar, Nadia Moss, and Jessica Moss. In the same way, the relentless “How Bright They Shine” includes an arrangement of Pee Wee King’s “Tennessee Waltz”. Apart from all this, the encouraging punk rock vocal intonations of “Raise Yourself Up” are exalted by folksy motivic lines and pushed forth by Sawyer’s engrossingly marching drum work.

Thoroughly narrated, revolutionary and liberating, this album speaks for itself, showcasing Matana at her highest level of creativity. In short: an essential listening.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - As Far As Eyes Can See ► 06 - Wild Fire Bare ► 11 - Raise Yourself Up

Christy Doran's Sound Fountain - For The Kick Of It

January 6, 2020

Label: Between The Lines, 2019

Personnel - Christy Doran: guitar; Franco Fontanarrosa: electric bass; Lukas Mantel: drums.

70-year-old Irish-born guitarist Christy Doran is known for his longtime association with powered rock music (he founded OM in the 70’s) but also a noteworthy presence in the avant-garde scene, especially due to a favorable trio collaboration with trombonist Ray Anderson and drummer Han Bennink.

The third recording by the eclectic Sound Fountain trio, which features electric bassist Franco Fontanarrosa and drummer Lukas Mantel, opens with a punk rock attitude and reaggae-ish riffery. “Every Dog Has It’s Day” is the first of two unrecorded pieces on the album, navigating moods that range from boisterous, with danceable ostinatos and rhythmic punch, to quiet suspensions, in which jazzier modes are dominated by colorful chord extensions, occasional bass fibrillation, and unimposing crisp drumming. Fontanarrosa stretches out under the three-time rhythmic spell generated by the drummer and endorsed by the guitarist.

The other previously unrecorded composition is “Thanks to Otmar”, which evokes an imaginary crossing between Dire Straits and The Police, being, in truth, a static parade motivated by brushes and cyclic bass figures. Doran infuses his playing with effects and bright harmonics, which are also noticeable on the time-shifting fusion “Andromeda”. In that particular context, they coexist with lubricated bass slides in a first phase, before the trio embraces an uncompromising funk rock, reserving some eastern-inflected rhythmic surprises for the last section.

Just like the previous tune, “Bad News Babe” was taken from the album 144 Strings For a Broken Chord (Between The Lines, 2018), which Doran composed for 20 guitars, four electric basses and drums. This number closes the program by intermingling the flaming bluesy riffs of Jimi Hendrix, always a major inspiration for Doran, with the unpolished funk metal once exposed by Red Hot Chili Peppers in the 80’s.

Fontanarrosa and Mantel contribute one composition each, “Abstraccion Felina” and “The Spanish Moment”, respectively. Both tunes were included in the group’s second album Undercurrent (Intuition, 2017), but if the former mixes the prog-rock of Tool with atmospheric electronic vibes, the latter procures abstraction, falling into moderately dreamy tones.

On the title track, “For The Kick Of It”, these artisans of rhythm return to the dance-like pulses and populate them with hooks and jabs. They concentrate energies in punk rock and jazz funk, having lots of fun playing it.

Favoriter Tracks:
03 - Andromeda ► 07 - For The Kick Of It ► 09 - Bad News Babe

Flash Reviews - The Attic / Evan Parker / Darren Barrett

January 3, 2020

THE ATTIC - SUMMER BUMMER (NoBusiness Records, 2019)

Personnel - Rodrigo Amado: tenor sax; Gonçalo Almeida: double bass; Onno Govaert: drums.

The Attic is a European free jazz trio composed of Portuguese saxist Rodrigo Amado, Portuguese bassist Gonçalo Almeida, and Dutch drummer Onno Govaert, who now sits on the chair that once belonged to Marco Franco. Summer Bummer is the trio’s sophomore effort and includes three extemporaneous pieces that spawn a rash of peculiar swinging streams, which may easily escalate into intricate rhythmic entanglements and spiraling rapid-fire phrases with timbral diversity and corrosive ebullience. Invocations of Coltrane, Ornette, Braxton, and Ayler are disseminated throughout. Cautious introductory assemblages expand into denser textural layering, defining the communication as a three-way dialogue before rambling journeys, often set to urgent pacing, become fleshed out by Amado’s muscular horn. Full of passion and exerting a hypnotic spell on the listener, The Attic proved capable of giving giant steps. [A-]

EVAN PARKER - CREPUSCULE IN NICKELSDORF (Intakt Records, 2019)

Personnel - Evan Parker: soprano sax; Matthew Wright: turntable, live sampling; Adam Linson: double bass, electronics; John Coxon: turntable, electronics; Ashley Wales: electronics.

The obsessive circularity of Evan Parker’s soprano is a mutual characteristic of the seven chapters that compose Crepuscule in Nickelsdorf, a live album whose experimental music inhabits an undefined space immersed in light refraction. For this work, the saxophonist teams up with turntablist Matthew Wright and three other electronic manipulators and members of the latter’s group Trance Map+. The result felt a bit short of what I expected. Despite the challenging concept to create permanent abstraction through digitally manipulated sounds that include buzzing activity (variable in pitch and volume) reminiscent of insects, programmed phenomena, and persistent birdlike chirping overlaps, the experience was a bit tiresome. The patterned code-like tones still create some frisson, but they often downshift into autopilot mode. Nonetheless, everything in this aural microcosms sounded relentlessly and unconditionally here and now. [C+]

DARREN BARRETT - MR. STEINER (dB Studios, 2019)

Personnel - Darren Barrett: EVI, trumpet; Santiago Bosch: keyboards; Chad Selph: organ; Daniel Ashkenazy: bass; Gonn Shani: bass; Mathéo Techer: drums; Roni Kaspi: drums; Jeffrey Lockhart: guitar; Roy Ben Bashat: guitar; François Chanvallon: guitar; Judy Barrett: percussion + guests Kenny Garrett: soprano saxophone; Noah Preminger: tenor saxophone; Kurt Rosenwinkel: guitar.

Totally focused on the EVI (Electronic Valve Instrument), Canadian trumpeter Darren Barrett has his second consecutive misfire with Mr. Steiner, a stylized album that, homaging the creator of the cited polyphonic instrument, Nyle Steiner, never hits high peaks. Blending electronic and jazz elements, the album has the short EVI-centered title track as one of its best moments (it also features trumpet interventions and a compendious guitar solo by guest Kurt Rosenwinkel). Another illustrious guest, Kenny Garrett, contributes a soulful soprano peregrination to upgrade the R&B-infused “dB plus KG”, while tenorist Noah Preminger makes use of his developed language, shaking up the insipid melodic narratives of “Botnik”, a stereotyped fusion effort. On “Only You Know”, it’s Venezuelan keyboardist Santiago Bosch who deserves attention as he keeps displaying mind-boggling machine-like sounds. Although respecting Barrett’s musical prism and knowing what he’s capable of (The Opener was one of my favorite albums from 2017), I could never get a real kick out of this new record, which only sporadically draws interest through individual statements. [C]