Steve Cardenas - Blue Has a Range

July 6, 2020

Label: Sunnyside Records, 2020

Personnel - Steve Cardenas: guitar; Jon Cowherd: piano; Ben Allison: bass; Brian Blade: drums.

Steve Cardenas, a skilled guitarist with an enjoyable classic bent and tempered style, releases a new album of all original material. The nine-track Blue Has a Range features the guitarist, a regular presence in the New York jazz circles since his arrival in 1995, in a quartet alongside pianist Jon Cowherd, bassist Ben Allison (who co-produced and mixed), and drummer Brian Blade. These artists feel just the perfect choices to carry out Cardenas’ adept writing.

“Lost and Found”, the album’s opener, incorporates part of a motif from Wayne Shorter’s “Lost”, hence the title. However, its quiet and thoughtful developments sometimes recall the music of John Abercrombie. Cowherd and Cardenas amuse with discerning individual statements.

The guitarist demonstrates his glowing lyricism on “Blue Language”, a spacious, mellow and deeply emphatic piece rooted in the New Orleans blues genre. The solo intro has something of Frisell but much comes from Cardenas’ own viewpoint on the bluesy affairs. This is an appealing number with a feel-good vintage vibe and with the quartet drawn to a streamlined consonance.

With a gift for dramatic understatement, Blade ensures that the music is never cold. He does wonders as he takes over the backdrop of the previously described piece in the groovy company of Allison, and they nail it again on “Language of Love”, a mid-tempo jazz waltz permeated with warm bluesy licks à-la Grant Green. This is the only tune on the album that had been previously recorded, appearing on Allison’s 2008 album Little Things Rule the World. The delicacy and sensitivity of Cardenas’ lines are transferred to the acoustic guitar (a vintage Martin that belonged to his partner’s mother) on “Fern’s Guitar”, which is served up with unassuming sophistication. Cowherd’s piano operates in the same wavelength rather than serving as a foil for the guitarist’s melancholy.

While the swinging “Highline” is a busier Coltrane-inspired ride that veers closer to mainstream, “Sign Post Up Ahead” features the quartet in a surprising improvisatory spin that reflects counterpoint, call-and-response actions, a funk-infested foundation, and blues-rock guitar chops with occasional acuteness and dissonance.

Inspired by an idyllic and mystical Philippine island, the soulful “Siquijor” is among the best pieces, emanating positive feelings from and probing possible healing powers in the atmospheric impressionism created by the ensemble.

Simply give this record a spin and let the noble and passionate emotions illuminate you.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Blue Language ► 07 - Siquijor ► 08 - Sign Post Up Ahead

Brandon Seabrook - Exultations

July 2, 2020

Label: Astral Spirits, 2020

Personnel - Brandon Seabrook: guitar; Cooper-Moore: diddley bow; Gerald Cleaver: drums.

Brandon Seabrook, a guitarist of rhythmically inventive force, boasts a curious style in which he effortlessly draws from the avant-garde, free improvisation, experimental and indie rock genres, including punk and math rock. Exultations emphasizes his energetic chops on top of the structurally rhythmic riches provided by kindred spirits Cooper-Moore, a dexterous pianist here exclusively dedicated to the diddley bow, and Gerald Cleaver on drums.

Powerful aural transmissions occur throughout a mesmerizing record that opens with “Flexing Fetid and Fecund”, a sinewy and muscled noise-rock exertion involving athletic drumming and distorted diddley bow slaps. Faithful to his strenuous, agitated vocabulary, Seabrook expands the freedom to “Dark Bogs”, a mechanical, somewhat droid-guided march where he engenders out-of-the-box textures and opens new communicative channels with both digital-oriented proficiency and industrial sonic conception.

Cooper-Moore and Cleaver often adhere to a sort of krautrock precision, and if “Behavioral Tub” implants electronic music influences in the experimental affairs, then the wildly inventive “Along Comes Diddley” proposes a fluttery funk feel conveyed by breakneck guitar actions spilled out with abandon, fire and flair. Whereas the former piece is permeated with carefree guitar noodling, fiery fretwork easily morphing into ostinatos processed by spacious effects, and drum rudiments fleshed out over a droning texture; the latter provides pointillism and synth-guitar clouds over a blistering rhythmic ambiance.

Trapped in a post-punk trance appended with glitchy sounds, “Cudgel Majik” differs considerably from both “Essential Exultations”, an atmospheric tour with some diaphanous minimalism, and “Absurdities in Bondage”, where the trio finds a special way to swing. Still, all pieces share the rigidly interlocked rhythms of Cooper-Moore and Cleaver in addition to Seabrook’s manifold strengths, which include the ability to mutate his playing from sharply angular to quizzically atmospheric.

The originality and inventiveness of the trio translate into unconventional textures that make this experimental work starkly fascinating.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Dark Bogs ► 03 - Behavioral Tub ► 07 - Along Comes Diddley

Bernhard Meyer / John Hollenbeck - Grids

July 1, 2020

Label: Clean Feed, 2020

Personnel - John Hollenbeck: drums, percussion, prepared piano; Bernhard Meyer: electric bass, effects.

On their first collaborative duo album, NY drummer John Hollenbeck and Berlin bassist Bernhard Meyer create their own experimental signature with a combination of unbound rock and ambient electronic sounds. Investigations of both industrial and minimal music, and a considerable amount of chilled, low-pressure beats are also found in Grids.

Inspired by landscapes around the world, the album starts and finishes in atmospheric suspension with “Black Rock Desert” and “Vya”, respectively. The innate mystery of the former has its origins in the chromatic bass moves that populate the textural paths conducted by Hollenbeck's iridescent brushwork. Siding with it in tonal quality, the latter piece takes the shape of a tone poem bathed in melancholic dark hues. Also ambient-oriented, “Kozhim, Naroda and Balbanyu” depicts the Russian rivers with a minimalistic, downtempo approach. Yet, you’ll find sweeping rattling sounds and patterned bass noodles spotted with harmonics.

If “Xina Bena Jordao” alludes to the folk Amazonian culture of Brazil by mixing its rhythms with trip-hop vibes and presenting bass chants dubbed with murmuring overlaps for texture, then “Peace-Athabasca” paints the Canadian Delta referred in the title with an interesting combination of indie rock and electronic music. Meyer’s aesthetic bass work brings some dissonance and echo to a composition stirred by Hollenbeck’s rhythmic transfigurations.

On “105, Sangkat Boeing Profit, Khan 7”, the duo focuses on a specific Cambodian scenery, incorporating screeches, slams, clanks and microsounds in the insistent mechanical routines that Hollenbeck’s prepared piano is in charge of. The rigidness of this industrial procedure becomes variable in frequency, and soothing bass lines and effects carried off by Meyer consent in giving the piece a serenely composed conclusion.

“Uluru-Kata Djuta” is a sonic reconnaissance of the Northern Australian park, a protected area characterized by peculiar rock formations. Tinged with attractive sound effects, this number is plotted with a more tangible substance.

Grids will reward more the experimental music follower than the typical jazz listener.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Black Rock Desert ► 02 - Peace-Athabasca ► 06 - Xina Bena Jordao

Dave Bryant - Night Visitors

June 30, 2020

Label: Self released, 2020

Personnel - Dave Bryant: keys; Charnett Moffett: electric bass; Gregg Bendian: drums, percussion.

With one foot in the fusion genre and the other in the harmolodic approach of free-jazz pioneer Ornette Coleman, Boston-based keyboardist Dave Bryant releases Night Visitors, a trio effort where he is joined by bassist Charnett Moffett and drummer Gregg Bendian.

Even though the steadfast “Lime Pickle” has resulted from an exercise for Bryant’s students, the way its rhythmic complexity and melodic abandon relate makes us conclude that an experienced hand is required.

Bryant, who was a late member of Ornette’s Prime Time ensemble, pays tribute to his post-graduate mentor by evoking him on several pieces. The saxophonist’s “Dee Dee”, which was first recorded in 1966 with a trio that included Charnett’s father, Charles Moffett, appears as the sole cover on the album, acquiring the form of an expressionist organ-driven piece shaped with genuine swinging excitement. On the other hand, “The Night Flock” mixes Ornette and Monk’s moods, allowing the trio to interact and stretch farther with rhythmic elasticity.

Fuzzier and heavier in sound, “In Transit” alludes to electronic music through synth fireworks, unstoppable bass runs and frantic drumming, being completely disconnected from the organized “Skywritten”, the piece that immediately follows. Here, the bass is bowed at the tune’s extremities, taking the shape of a walking pizzicato groove in the middle section in order to support the effortless eloquence of the pianist. A stringent articulation contours his phrasing.

Sounding like a fun exercise, “Chihuahua Pearl” lives from the humor and flippancy between the funky bass and the high-energy keyboard, with the drums adhering to the provocation with low-key drama. Much more exciting is the blues-tinged “Scorpio 80”, written for the 80th birthday of comic books artist Jim Steranko. It was through the latter that Bryant met Bendian.

The album closes with the three-part suite “Three Night Visitors”, which offers that kind of abstract pleasures that I would be happy to find in greater extent. You’ll find glockenspiel enlaced with curious percussive elements, ritualistic proceedings and nice sound effects as parts of a cadenced dance, and a spontaneous three-way conversation between glockenspiel, piano and the bass, which interchanges pizzicato and arco techniques.

Although this record only partially worked for me, loyal fusion devotees may well go for it.

Favorite Tracks:
07 - The Night Flock ► 09 - Three Night Visitors I ► 10 - Three Night Visitors II

Jonathan Andersen - Tiny Grass is Dreaming

June 29, 2020

Label: Gateway Music, 2020

Personnel - Magnus Thuelund: alto saxophone; Jacob Anderskov: piano; Jonathan Andersen: bass; Espen Laub Von Lilliensjkjold: drums.

Tiny Grass is Dreaming, the debut album from Danish bassist/composer Jonathan Andersen, is tagged by versatility in style and competence in execution. I was not immediately grabbed by the title track, though, which opens up the album carrying a bolero vibe in its lowest layer. While saxophonist Magnus Thuelund is in command during the theme statement, the expressive brushwork offered by drummer Espen Laub Von Lilliensjkjold and the waves of serenity emanated from Jacob Anderskov’s elegant pianism keep acting in the interest of the piece’s romantic nature.

The sprightly “Silvo Plex” is another story, combining the vibrancy of Woody Shaw and the dramatic instinct of Kurt Rosenwinkel. The pianist catches the saxophonist’s lines to form unisons, while the groove-centered disposition of the tune becomes an opportunity for fitting statements from piano and bass.

If the quartet explores tranquil landscapes with a Yusef Lateef perception on the coruscating waltz “Woodcraft”, they opt to dive into post-bop relaxation on “Mending the Broken”, a wonderful piece where groove and melody walk hand in hand. Included in this cool-toned category, there’s also “Dry Air”, a balladic exercise punctuated by gorgeous bass decays and uplifted by a fine saxophone solo.

While “A Muse Meant Business” is a piano-less bop-inflection marked by the contrasting tones of Von Lilliensjkjold’s skin work and a natural proclivity to swing, “Hello Gulina” is crafted with modal virtue, conveying a breezy feel with the help of winning, curving melodies. These strong impressions are covered in emotional satisfaction, being extended to the solos.

Aesthetic variety doesn’t stop here, and if “AO” displays a jazzistic frame with deep folk engraving, “Macroscope” is a short layered piece that relies simultaneously on the independence of moves and conjoint articulacy, occasionally reaching avant-garde latitudes.

The album closes with a bluesy pop song called “Big Guitar”, to which an awesome beat is added.

Tiny Grass is Dreaming is no stiff listening experience, compelling us to recognize Andersen as a viable voice willing to explore several branches of the jazz tree.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Silvo Plex ► 05 - Hello Gulina ► 09- Mending the Broken

Sara Serpa - Recognition

June 25, 2020

Label: Biophilia Records, 2020

Personnel - Sara Serpa: vocals, composition; Mark Turner: tenor saxophone; Zeena Parkins: harp, tuning forks; David Virelles: piano.

The New York-based Portuguese singer and composer Sara Serpa has been a powerful creative stylist with a penchant for exploring beyond the ordinary beauties of jazz. The successor to her acclaimed trio album Close Up (Clean Feed, 2018) is Recognition, a multidisciplinary work centered on the Portuguese colonialism in Africa, which raises the bar and soars new heights, both sonically and conceptually. This record marks her debut on the Biophilia Records and features a splendid new quartet comprising saxophonist Mark Turner, harpist Zeena Parkins and pianist David Virelles. The music was specifically composed for a silent movie that resulted from an assemblage of Super-8 footage captured in Angola and found in Serpa’s family archives.

The opener, “Lei do Indigenato, 1914”, has the harpist and the pianist coupling crisp articulations before focusing on a taut rhythmic cadence. Serpa and Turner align their voices in parallel, preserving this melodic correlation when performing “Occupation”, a 5/4 spectacle immersed in contrapuntal balance and featuring intrepid harp offerings and a heartfelt solo from Turner. Serpa denotes total control and perspicuity whenever she steps in, and exquisite juxtapositions of notes further enrich the instrumentation.

“The Multi-Racialism Myth” and “Propaganda” are showcases for the bandleader’s first-class vocal work. Displaying a mood that feels relentlessly oneiric while also tightened up with tension, the former piece boasts an enchanting vocal solo whose spiky lyricism is kept under way by Virelles. The latter piece, on the other hand, is an exercise in perseverance, crafted with sweep and grandeur as the ensemble cycles through patterned phrases.

“Control and Oppression” expresses the chilliness, fear, and dejection that the title suggests. Long vibrato notes play a vital role in an abstract lamentation that cries for freedom. If this is all expressed through music, then “Beautiful Gardens” employs mirrored voices to narrate an excerpt from Jose Luandino Vieira’s novella The Real Life of Domingos Xavier. Jolts of energy emerge from the purposely unsettled foundation established by harp and piano.

In addition to nine Serpa compositions, the recording includes three spontaneous improvisations that thoroughly demonstrate the limberness of the ensemble. “Free Labour” is a work song in the guise of an offbeat waltz rendered with counterpoint and bracing rhythmic figures as its liberating forces. “Civilizing and Influence” relies on the refinement of a sax-piano communion, while “Queen N’Zinga” thrives on spoken word (an excerpt from the book Njinga of Angola by Linda M. Heywood) and Turner’s elaborate stunts, which are pushed to the forefront of a jittery polyrhythmic coalition.

Filled with pungent atmospheres and urgent messages, Recognition challenges the listeners by blurring any and all genres with authenticity and resolve. Serpa’s command of her voice is ravishing and her compositional prowess keeps evolving from record to record.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Occupation ► 03 - The Multi-Racialism Myth ► 04 - Free Labour

Sara Schoenbeck / Wayne Horvitz - Cell Walk

June 24, 2020

Label: Songlines Recordings, 2020

Personnel - Wayne Horvitz: piano, electronics; Sara Schoenbeck: bassoon.

Pianist Wayne Horvitz and bassoonist Sara Schoenbeck have been straddling the worlds of improvised and notated music for 20 years with fruitful collaborations in several ensembles. An example is Horvitz’s Gravitas Quartet in which they join forces with trumpeter Ron Miles and cellist Peggy Lee. The two likeminded artists appear together for the first time as a duo on Cell Walk, complementing each other perfectly through the conjugation of their inherent musical voices.

Three of the 17 tracks on the album were retrieved from Horvitz’s The Snowghost Session (Songlines, 2018) and adapted to the current context. “No Blood Relation”, a lyrical, sweet-sounding effort with a breezy vibe and authentic grace is the most notable of them, but there's also “Ironbound”, here filled with revolutionary activities, and then “American Bandstand”, which concludes the session harmoniously.

“Undecided” conjures quiet, lovely impressionism in chamber music, contrasting with the jagged friction of cuts like “Twining”, where the attractive tones of the bassoon transpire mystery over a slow churn of jarring, deep piano chords. Comparatively, the artists flip their tonal range on “3 Places in Southern California”, infusing velocity in their actions with no loss of commitment in the interplay.

With disturbing simplicity and cinematic quality, Horvitz’s “The Fifth Day” includes silvery unisons and develops with iterative motifs underpinning the improvisations. This piece leads to Schoenbeck’s “Deep Well Well”, where the bassoonist makes a keen demonstration of some of the powerful extended techniques applied to the instrument. Whereas here, we find doleful cries over a piano lament, on “Sutter St.”, her circular breathing technique adds a little bit more pathos, magnifying a brooding improvised number marked by a remarkable manipulation of electronics.

References to the late groundbreaking pianist Cecil Taylor and the microtonal-inclined composer Lou Harrison are exposed on the title track and “For Lou Harrison”, respectively. The former flows in a continuous stream of melody and texture, while the latter showcases patterned pointillism and counterpoint.

Known as boundary pushers, Horvitz and Schoenbeck succeed in grabbing hold of the narrative development of each selection.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Twining ► 03 - No Blood Relations ► 07 - Deep Well Well

Quin Kirchner - The Shadows and the Light

June 23, 2020

Label: Astral Spirits, 2020

Personnel - Nate Lepine: tenor saxophone, flute; Greg Ward: alto saxophone; Nick Mazzarella: alto and soprano saxophones; Nick Broste: trombone; Jason Stein: bass clarinet; Rob Clearfield: piano, Wurlitzer; Matt Ulery: acoustic and electric basses; Quin Kirchner: drum set, percussion, kalimba, synth.

Chicago drummer Quin Kirchner shows off his multifaceted percussive style on The Shadows and the Light, a double album comprising original material and a gratifying selection of covers that pay tribute to his musical influences. Emphasizing rhythm, free improvisation and structure, the 15 tracks on the album are explored in different formats - from solo to septet - in the company of musicians that demonstrate heaps of potential in their playing.

“Shadow Intro” is a welcoming and animated percussive introduction to a beautiful journey. Kirchner crafts this one alone, aggregating Afro-samba pulsations and synth effects. These rhythmic flavors veer to Afro-Cuban on “Batá Chop”, where the bandleader, at the center of the rhythm, plays aesthetic attention to the surroundings created by bassist Matt Ulery, keyboardist Rob Clearfield (on Wurlitzer), and alto saxophonist Greg Ward. The latter, plays mostly by the 'rules', but intensifies the dance with outside expeditions that don’t last for long.

The bandleader is attracted to both fervently earnest and sensually exotic rhythms. In the former category we have “Rift”, a swinging avant-garde trio effort that pushes the tenor saxophonist Nate Lepine to the foreground, and Carla Bley’s “King Korn”, from which the trombone of Nick Broste erupts, evoking the spirit of Grachan Moncur III, as well as the perfervid bass clarinet of Jason Stein. Conversely, the sight of foreign landscapes is conjured on titles such as “Sahara”, a composition by Sun Ra Arkestra’s former member Phil Cohran, here featuring flute, bass clarinet and kalimba; “Planet Earth”, a mid-50's mainstream-meets-progressive piece by the venerated keyboardist Sun Ra; and “Jupiter Moon”, a Kirchner original that, after starting off as a multi-timbral saxophone constellation, embraces a keen 5/4 groove laid down in support of unisons, garnishing melodies, and concurrent improvisations.

The drummer is in charge of the transition that bridges “Star Clutter” - where five unaccompanied horns participate in a buzzing, ongoing activity - and “Moon Vision”, where the rhythm section digs into a hip-hop-ish groove.

Definitely a highlight, “At This Point in Time” salutes the late saxophonist Frank Foster, who penned it, and the great drummer Elvin Jones, who included it in his 1976 Blue Note album Prime Element. It’s a remarkable orchestration formulated with an Eastern-tinged introductory section, odd-metered groove, gospelized soul-jazz vibrations and a dash of funk. The shining soloists here are Nick Mazzarella on soprano, Lepine on tenor, and Kirchner, whose expressive idiom precedes the contribution of all horns in ecstasy. Everything ends with an inexorable ostinato.

The album is completed after “Lucid Dream”, a beautifully harmonized ballad performed in septet and dedicated to the giant bassist Charles Mingus.

This is an exciting album of rhythmic proficiency and stylistic variety. En route, you'll find countless pleasurable moments to savor with no redundancy.

Favorite Tracks:
03 - At This Point in Time ► 10 - Planet Earth ► 11 - Jupiter Moon

Marcin Wasilewski Trio with Joe Lovano - Arctic Riff

June 22, 2020

Label: ECM Records, 2020

Personnel - Marcin Wasilewski: piano; Joe Lovano: tenor saxophone; Slawomir Kurkiewicz: bass; Michal Miskiewicz: drums.

Polish pianist Marcin Wasilewski augments his crisply articulate piano trio - featuring bassist Slawomir Kurkiewicz and drummer Michal Miskiewicz - with the addition of great American saxophonist Joe Lovano, who populates Arctic Riff with his burnished saxophone literacy. The album comprises 11 pieces - four by Wasilewski, one by Lovano, four collective improvisations, and one by pianist Carla Bley, which makes a double appearance with the inclusion of an alternate take. The composition in question is “Vashkar”, which first saw the light of day in 1963, when it was included on Paul Bley’s trio album Footloose. The quartet’s reading admits conspicuous turbulence by the time that Wasilewski speaks and also exposes great saxophone work over a logical bass-drums association. The tune’s variation is cooked with the same passion and subtly atmospheric tones, but relatively different flavors.

“Glimmer of Hope”, a Wasilewski ballad, kicks off the record by sailing in shimmering, streamlined, slow-moving waters. Everything is brought into a collective harmony, yet the saxophone melodies bring an exceptional lyrical warmth to the music of the trio. The pianist also penned two other ballads: “Old Hat”, which closes out the album, and “Fading Sorrow”, which showcases his taste for beautiful and relaxing melodies over functional, sensitive chords. Impossible not to notice the deeply felt bass solo that comes as lucid in the phraseology as it sounds rich in tone.

Kurkiewicz also has the spotlight for a limited period of time on “Arco”, an enigmatic collective improvisation where Lovano steals the show by employing impressive multiphonics. However, “Cadenza” is my first choice among the extemporaneous pieces. Clocking in at nine minutes, this number emerges with brushed drums, wandering bass itineraries and ruminative saxophone. Departing from the lower registers, nimble piano movements expand, integrating with the other instruments to form cohesive sonic landscapes whose topographies range from meditative to avant-garde.

Wasilewski’s “L’Amour Fou” and Lovano’s “On the Other Side” stand out as the most unreserved selections in the program. The former, boasting a dancing quality in the head that exceeds the conventional swinging flow, thrive with ingenious solos from piano, sax and drums; the latter piece, on its side, denotes clever communicative exchanges and passes through different configurations, with Lovano citing Monk’s “Played Twice” in a sweeping solo that crosses the hard-swinging accompaniment provided by bass and drums.

Even when exploring boundlessly, the quartet embraces a fluid style leavened by a wonderful sense of space. As a key to our contentment, the sounds are not just meticulous but also consistently surprising.

Favorite Tracks:
03 - Cadenza ► 04 - Fading Sorrow ► 07 - L’Amour Fou

Ingrid Laubrock / Kris Davis - Blood Moon

June 18, 2020

Label: Intakt Records, 2020

Personnel - Ingrid Laubrock: tenor and soprano saxophones; Kris Davis: piano.

Two of the most admired improvisers and composers of our times - saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock and pianist Kris Davis - join forces in a full-fledged duo session that sparkles with creativity and maturity. The program includes nine tracks - four by Laubrock, three by Davis and two completely improvised - that conjure a broad variety of timbres, moods and textures. Most of them were penned specifically for this record, which showcases the incredible musical understanding between these musicians.

Davis’ “Snakes and Lattice” launches the proceedings and provides a happily modern, amiable trippy spin with spot-on synchronism, spectacular pointillism and coiled chains. At an early stage, Laubrock deliberately embraces pleasant melody, eliciting the standard “Lover Man” to pop into my head. This ephemeral moment evolves into a fusion of classical and avant-garde music where the cool attacks of the pianist send us over the moon.

Laubrock’s “Blood Moon” lures us into its microtonal narratives. Relatable on an emotive level, this is a mainly reflective piece created with elasticity in timbre and a laid-back posture. Tradition is pulled into this orbit, yet the duo digs deeper for a little while, delving into an immersive risk-taking atmosphere.

The saxophonist infuses “Whistlings” with turns and jumps, making it a free rhythmic dance. There are arresting unisons and fragmented episodes full of life and color.

The discrepancy between “Flying Embers” and “Golgi Complex” are noticeable, yet both came from Davis’ creative mind. The former is a low-key, sometimes ethereal exercise on intangibility with sustained sounds and long notes, while the latter, drawn from the pianist’s latest album Diatom Ribbons, appears with a new outfit. In addition to the advanced language spoken throughout, we have an energizing groovy section by the end.

Just like the previously described piece, Laubrock’s soprano inundates “Gunweep”, a duo improvisation where she blows with bracing expression, agile technique, and a fair amount of charm. Davis' whirling vertigo is the perfect foil for this type of phrasing. It comes out of the right reaches of the keyboard and it's complemented with deep chordal sequences drowned in smart extensions.

What I really fancied about this work was the fact that it avoids the oversaturation and convoluted sonic vortexes commonly associated with the avant-garde jazz. The dynamics are more polished in a way, and the comfortable transitions occur with logic, being extremely pleasant to the ear. Both Laubrock and Davis boast a brilliantly-earned self-sufficiency in their playing. They also do wonders whenever their attractive sounds cross paths.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Snakes and Lattice ► 02 - Blood Moon ► 03 - Gunweep

Micah Thomas - Tide

June 17, 2020

Label: Self released, 2020

Personnel - Micah Thomas: piano; Dean Torrey: bass; Kyle Benford: drums.

Tide, the debut album from rising pianist and composer Micah Thomas, is something precious in the way that it squeezes tradition and novelty into addictive new music. Thomas has been excelling in many New York ensembles as a reliable sideman (Lage Lund, Harish Raghavan and Immanuel Wilkins are just a few examples), but now it’s his turn to shine as a leader while displaying virtuosic compositional abilities. Playing alongside empathetic trio partners - bassist Dean Torrey and drummer Kyle Benford - Thomas floods most of the originals on this live recording with extravagant swinging gallantry.

A vibrant “Tornado” kicks off the record, underlying the notions of intricacy and beauty with a Chick Corea feel that evokes his 1968 masterpiece Now He Sings Now He Sobs.

The title track translates into unstuffed, breezy productivity. It displays a singing bass solo before entering that swinging gateway that encourages the pianist’s bopish fantasies replete with melodic and rhythmic hooks.

The trio swings and grooves with a straightforward, happy vibe on “Grounds”, a Jarrett-esque folk-jazz piece imbued with rivers of motifs, clever phrases, and stunning chordal work. Torrey paves the way with absolute confidence and also provides a lovely bass talk that, for moments, touches the spiritual side.

Inspired by the fourth movement of Mahler’s Symphony No.6, “The Game” is an indisputable joy to listen to, encompassing ingenious rhythmic variations within a well-defined structure. What more can you expect here? A considerable amount of surprises and twists, lots of energy stemming from the splendid teamwork, and audacity in the labyrinthine connections between the jazz and the classical styles.

The kinetic mechanisms decline on ballads such as “The Day After”, which features an arco bass dissertation and a dynamic wrapping-up drum solo, and the Bill Evans-tinged “Across My Path”. “Vanta” is also carried out in a lighter vein, being a supple, rubato, solo piano effort.

Thomas makes a significant contribution to the jazz panorama with an accomplished body of work that not only testifies his enormous respect for the past but also a wholehearted and open vision that takes the genre beyond the expected.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Tornado ► 02 - Tide ► 05 - The Game

Leni Stern - 4

June 16, 2020

Label: Leni Stern Recordings, 2020

Personnel - Leni Stern: vocals, guitar, ngoni; Leo Genovese: keys; Mamadou Ba: electric bass; Alioune Faye: percussion + guest Mike Stern: guitar.

For a few years now, German-born, New York-based guitarist/vocalist/composer Leni Stern has been exploring unparalleled world-jazz territories imbued with West African influences. On her new outing, 4, Stern’s trio with Senegalese musicians - bassist Mamadou Ba and percussionist Alioune Faye - is augmented with the addition of Argentine keyboardist Leo Genovese. In this manner, the group earns ampler harmonic and rhythmic magnitudes as well as a deeper improvisational perspective.

“Lambar” is a Malian rhythm that, in the case at hand, is adapted and hyped up with wafting electric bass articulations, n’goni and synth sounds. However, I was far more attracted to “Amadeus”, a gorgeous ambient-pop ballad with some bluesy piano details that would make Tom Waits happy. Both the voice and the piano are very melodically driven and there’s a soulful guitar solo that builds a special aura. Also balladic in nature, the breezy “Chartwell” exposes a three time feel that is extended to the inventive “Japalema”, a Genovese composition that intertwines melodies based on the Japanese pentatonic scale, the spirit of the blues and rich rhythms. Ba’s funkified bass lines are heard in the first half minute, but then the song takes us into places other than what had been suggested at a first glance. The experimental effusions from Genovese become the song’s irresistible attraction.

Featuring Leni’s husband - the iconic guitarist Mike Stern - as a guest soloist, “Habib” dives deep in the groove and African rhythm, detaching from the more tempered nature of “Miu”, which, carrying an appealing, sunny feel, appears as a tuneful confluence of styles with inspired Nigerian rhythms. Both “Amadeus” and “Miu” were written for and titled after Leni’s cats.

These eight songs, very picturesque in their in-depth eclecticism and peculiar instrumentation, provide a different listening experience.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Amadeus ► 05 - Japalema ► 07 - Habib

Rudresh Mahanthappa - Hero Trio

June 15, 2020

Label: Whirlwind Recordings, 2020

Personnel - Rudresh Mahanthappa: alto saxophone; François Moutin: bass; Rudy Royston: drums.

Possessing a sui-generis improvisational style, altoist Rudresh Mahanthappa is known as one of the most powerful forces in today’s jazz. On his latest recording, Hero Trio, he performs in trio format, basking in a collection of nine familiar non-originals that includes jazz standards, bebop and post-bop hits, and - surprise! - an R&B and a country-pop song by Stevie Wonder and Johnny Cash, respectively. For this purpose, Mahanthappa enlisted his longtime associates - bassist François Moutin and drummer Rudy Royston - paying homage to his influences and inspirations with able arrangements of his own, and that constant, impulsive spontaneity that has been stamping his discography.

Navigating meters with an extraordinary fluidity, the trio brings Stevie Wonder’s “Overjoyed” to life with a gifted arrangement by Panamanian pianist Danilo Perez, with whom Mahanthappa has collaborated in duo format. The joyous melody slides over the shifting harmonic landscape suggested by Moutin, who, together with Royston’s sturdy versatility, shapes the song’s foundation with brilliancy. And then, the saxophonist gets complex phrases off the ground by interlacing long sequences of notes with momentum.

Both the irresistibly kinetic “The Windup” by Keith Jarrett, here transformed into a successful piano-less effort, and Ornette Coleman’s “Sadness”, which ends as abstractly as it began with resonant bowed bass and deep mallet drumming, were unaltered in their original forms.

Two Charlie Parker tunes bookend the album. If the closer, “Dewey Square”, only surprises partially, then “Red Cross” is subjected to an explosive reading by the trio, opening the session with the saxophonist taking its bebop vibe a few steps further by weaving in and out with logic and determination over a swinging pulse. The rhythm section is exemplary and, before concluding, the drummer trades bars with his trio mates. Parker is evoked once again, but this time he brings Coltrane with him, in a malleable, groovy collage of “Barbados” by the former and “26-2” by the latter, which happens to be a contrafact of Bird’s “Confirmation”.

Both widely known, “I Can’t Get Started” and “I’ll Remember April” are carried out with different postures. The former, more meditative, is delivered in five and exhibits an incantatory way of breathing, whereas the latter returns to that soulful ebullience that Mahanthappa often presents us with.

This is a trio of shifting texture and smart rapport.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Red Cross ► 04 - I Can’t Get Started ► 05 - The Windup

Whit Dickey Trio - Expanding Light

June 11, 2020

Label: Tao Forms, 2020

Personnel - Rob Brown: alto sax; Brandon Lopez: bass; Whit Dickey: drums.

Expanding Light is a compelling trio session where the ideas emerge and unfold with vehement passion. Drummer Whit Dickey, a longtime adherent of the creative downtown free jazz movement of NY, teams up here with saxophonist Rob Brown, a close collaborator for more than 30 years, and, for the first time, with the 32-year-old rising star bassist Brandon Lopez.

“The Outer Edge” kicks off the album with the bandleader flaunting an expedite work with the kick drum and creating giddy excitement through persistent and controlled cymbal textures. Brown’s imaginative zigzags are thrown in a minute, expressing melodic and rhythmic insight. The bass enters at a later time, affixing a regular pace that accelerates into an unpretentious, snappy swing. Before the final section arrives with a Dolphy-esque pose and coarse hi-hat attacks, Dickey embraces his percussive speech with elan.

An active dialogue between pizzicato bass and brushed drums occurs on “Desert Flower”. Lopez’s apparently aimless moves end up in a sturdy ritualized groove, which, with Dickey’s assistance, creates a solid base of support for Brown’s thoughtful developments.

A fluid arco bass legato permeates “Plateau” with a meditative quality but also tension. The pressure is heightened by the boldness of the percussion treatment and intricate saxophone practices that accommodates a number of spiritual moments worthy of Coltrane.

The title cut, an off-the-cuff excursion with potent layers of energy, has intertwined trajectories established by bass and drums as its most attractive feature. Accordingly, beautifully designed textures become the natural outcome of the formidable combination between loose-limbed bass articulations and crisp percussive routines.

By comparison, it’s Brown's saxophone that is designated as the nerve center of the fervently prayerful “The Opening”. The saxophonist blows with volcanic strength and invincible perseverance while the rhythm section guarantees compact rhythmic fluxes by encapsulation of droning bowed bass and some stirring drumming.

Free jazz is in very good hands with this excellent trio.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Desert Flower ► 04 - Expanded Light ► 06 - The Opening

Dave Glasser - Hypocrisy Democracy

June 10, 2020

Label: Here Tiz Music, 2020

Personnel - Dave Glasser: alto and soprano saxophones, flute; Andy Milne: piano; Ben Allison: bass; Matt Wilson: drums.

The latest album from New York-born saxophonist Dave Glasser, Hypocrisy Democracy, arrives not only with a vital message of fairness and justice to the world but also with an intense will to ‘speak’ to the listener, musically. Drawing from tradition but sounding properly contemporary, Glasser, the lead altoist for the Count Basie Orchestra, is backed by a stellar quartet comprised of pianist Andy Milne, bassist Ben Allison and drummer Matt Wilson, all of them accomplished bandleaders.

The opening two tracks are scorchers that demonstrate the athletic agility of the ensemble. “Knit Wit” has Glasser doubling on alto and soprano during the theme, and it feels like we have Thelonious Monk and Herbie Nichols shoulder-to-shoulder. Ferocious rhythmic accents, a staggering harmonic presence, and authoritative improvisations with responsive reactions from the non-protagonists are part of the deal. Sharing a similar attitude, “Justice” has the group rejecting static routes, embarking instead on a hard-swinging verve where Milne, Allison and Wilson offer a robust, comfortable pillow for Glasser to lie in. The saxophonist blows with muscle, showcasing a fully developed jazz language with a copious command of timbre. He does it again on “Freedom”, a blues infused with some Coltrane spirit and explosive growling. At some point, the pace increases from moderate to snappy.

“Coffee, Dogs and Teledogs” and “Glee For Lee” are duets that serve as loose scaffoldings for improvisatory interplay. The former thrives with bouncing enthusiasm as the saxophonist pairs up with Allison, while the latter, written for former mentor Lee Konitz, is developed in the company of Wilson’s talkative drums.

If “Dilemonk” is a bluesy Monkian stretch, then “Revolver” seems to fuse the late pianist’s “Ask Me Now” with some Brubeck’s demeanors. And you’ll also find a beautiful ballad with shades of bolero and great piano work on “Dark Deep”, and crested waves of funk on “It’s Nothing New”, where soprano and flute ride together over Milne’s wide harmonic avenues.

Fueled by an infectious, inspiring energy, this album is immediately relatable and a pleasure from start to finish.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Knit Wit ► 02 - Justice ► 10 - Dark Deep

Jon Balke - Discourses

June 9, 2020

Label: ECM Records, 2020

Personnel - Jon Balke: piano, sound processing

Resisting categorization, the music of the Norwegian pianist Jon Balke, a longtime ECM recording artist, can be sublime, rousing and touching, all at the same time. On his third solo piano recording, Discourses, Balke is deep inside his piano playing. With a sense of dignity and penchant for exploration, he emanates a genuine intimacy from statements that are juxtaposed with processed soundscapes, creating absorbing narratives inspired by the overwhelming lack of dialogue and polarized speech in the political context we’re living in. Hence, language appears as a crucial factor here, with Balke employing specific composed ideas as a vehicle for improvisation, as well as sound processing to complement his conceptual thinking.

The opener, “The Self and the Opposition”, immediately showcases his skilled command of the instrument, from which he draws coiled and hasty lines rich in both emotional depth and aesthetic function.

“The Facilitator” feels like a pastoral poem whose relaxation is disturbed by the tension that comes from jarred processed sounds. Its tautness, however, differs from “The Polarization”, whose enigmatic chordal work is infused with somber colors. A completely different mood, more dreamy and wondrous, is offered on “The Container”, where the inspired melody is wrapped in a comforting harmonic framework and tasteful, innocuous effects.

Percussively cluttered and busy, “The Assumptions” draws from modern classical music, but it’s “The Certainties”, an astute, even-tempered sculptural piece irradiating transcendental light, that promptly touches my heart.

The pure erudition of “The Suspension” culminates with an atmospheric ending, whereas the meditative “The Why” establishes an elegiac tone that searches for beauty. Conversely, “The How” moves ahead with enchanting ebbs and flows while living in a mix of suspension and resolution.

Nearly behaving as a broken fugue in its initial phase, “The First Argument” carries a singing quality in the digitally manipulated outro. This new poise and freshness had already been found on “The Second Argument”, an elegantly outlined piece that comes first in the song alignment.

This is a dazzling album from a fascinatingly complex musician who, without refraining from innovate, preserves his exceptional musical identity.

Favorite Tracks:
03 - The Container ► 05 - The Certainties ► 06 - The Suspension

Patrick Shiroishi / Dylan Fujioka - Neba Neba

June 8, 2020

Label: Cacophonous Revival, 2020

Personnel - Patrick Shiroishi: alto and baritone saxophones; Dylan Fujioka: drums, percussion.

Although they’ve been playing together since 2013 in different contexts, West-coast saxophonist Patrick Shiroishi and drummer Dylan Fujioka have never released a collaborative duo album until now. Neba Neba is a three-track free jazz suite, in which the duo adopts their habitual take-no-prisoners approach. Shiroishi and Fujioka joined the post-rock band Upsilon Acrux in 2015, and more recently have collaborated with keyboardist Paco Casanova on Kage Cometa (FMR Records, 2018) as well as with multi-instrumentalist Vinny Golia and drummer Alex Cline on Borasisi (Astral Spirits, 2019).

“Lucky Boys” starts off with plain sax melodies floating atop limber percussion. While the saxophonist gradually extends his color range by incorporating glissandos, eccentric trills, and elliptical movements, the drummer injects zealous bass drum kicks in his lively activity. The improvisational interplay may vary from cogitative suspensions to fiercely intense rides, and every idea favors exploration and communication. Even in the sections where they operate in solo configuration, the clear language overrides demonstrative aesthetics. Prior to the conclusion, a predominant cymbal legato with variable flashes of intensity joins the droning quality of the alto sax before it glides into spiraling mode.

Whereas the previously described piece lasts for nearly 26 minutes, “Chorizo” clocks in at 29, validating improvisation as the driving force behind the duo’s actions. Launched with dry snare drum and eloquent, breathy alto sax phrases, this piece gains some nice, loose throb along the way. At a given moment, Shiroishi switches to baritone, extracting interesting deep sounds with occasional multiphonics while engaging in a strange dance with his mate. He returns to the alto for a powerful ending.

Although initially marked by the serene cascading effect of a rattling percussion and restrained saxophone playing, “Stray Dog” reaches its boiling point right before fainting permanently into quietude.

This is a bold sax-drums duet.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Lucky Boys ► 03 - Chorizo

John Scofield - Swallow Tales

June 4, 2020

Label: ECM Records, 2020

Personnel - John Scofield: guitar; Steve Swallow: electric bass; Bill Stewart: drums.

On Swallow Tales, guitar giant John Scofield returns to the trio format, interpreting nine beautiful ‘songs’ from longtime bassist friend Steve Swallow, who pairs up here with drummer Bill Stewart to ensure a consistently swinging rhythmic foundation. Knowing one another very well, the old dynamics still pack a punch in what is Scofield’s first record as a leader on the ECM label.

The waltz “She Was Young” opens the recording, driven by Stewart’s sensitive brushes, Swallow’s efficient harmonic conduction, and the warmly persuasive guitar work of Scofield, who maintains the singing quality of a tune that in 1979 was sung by Sheila Jordan. It’s not difficult to conclude that groove is everywhere. “Hullo Bolinas” is another piece in 3/4 that resists the striking predominance of 4/4 tempos and fiercely swinging attitude.

Ingratiated by Stewart’s straight eights, “Falling Grace” is a fancifully articulated post-bop ride issued with lots of rapture. In addition to a spiraling guitar solo cooked with single-note phrases, octave approaches, and angular intervals, it’s easy to behold Swallow’s groundwork while he comfortably pads across the swing. This piece is deeply associated with Gary Burton’s groups, just like “Portsmouth Figurations”. The latter composition has the loose feel of a pleasant recollection and comes bolstered by psychedelic chords at some point. Scofield’s playing is adventurous, but never anarchic, and the tune gets better and better as the trio moves toward an epic finale.

Originally an up-tempo romp, “Awful Coffee” was slowed down for this album with a languorous groove and velvety texture, yet maintaining the bluesy feel. The nature of the piece compelled the stringed instrument players to trade fours with the drummer, and, along the way, Scofield also provides nimble arpeggiated gestures, shifting figures, and keen harmonic choices to accompany his own discourse. On the contrary, “Eiderdown” shake us up with bursts of hard-swinging energy.

“Away” is a short-form ballad whose ample space facilitates the emotional flow, whereas “In F” is a tongue-in-cheek exercise that straddles the worlds of funk, soul, and jazz with subtlety. It comes equipped with churning bass lines, smart percussive chops, and that feel-good factor that characterizes the music of these players. Their musical relationship pops like champagne bubbles, and the record, not being a masterpiece, carries the all-around colorful sonics one should expect from a trio of this calibre.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - She Was Young ► 02 - Falling Grace ► 05 - Eiderdown

James Carney Sextet - Pure Heart

June 3, 2020

Label: Sunnyside Records, 2020

Personnel - Ravi Coltrane: tenor and soprano saxophones; Oscar Noriega: bass clarinet, alto saxophone; Stephanie Richards: trumpet; James Carney: piano; Dezron Douglas: bass; Tom Rainey: drums.

Pianist and composer James Carney has been an important figure in the New York scene for years, whether leading interesting groups assembled to carry out his creative ideas, whether curating and hosting the improvisation-centered Konceptions music series in Brooklyn.

His new outing, Pure Heart, features a sextet composed of a powerful three-horn frontline with saxophonist Ravi Coltrane, multi-reedist Oscar Noriega, and trumpeter Stephanie Richards, and a gritty rhythm section that puts bassist Dezron Douglas and drummer Tom Rainey side by side for the very first time. Despite the different aspects of their musical personalities, interesting things happen throughout the five tracks on the album, a display on how utterly comfortable Carney is on his instrument.

That rare rhythmic empathy we find here is promptly brought to the table as we hear the first sounds of “Inharmonicity”, a jolt of inspiring vitality comprising intervallic awe, impeccable synced accentuations, and a three-way horn conversation that soars with empowerment and freedom.

Effectively melding tradition and avant-garde, the appropriately sinuous “Throwing Shades” is an imagination of how Horace Silver would compose in the modern times. The bass enters alone, later enjoying the company of the piano, which reinforces the groove. The horns align melodically during the theme, getting ready to set flight in solos that unfold with fearless posture. The bandleader also improvises, extending his actions by interjecting and reacting during Richards’ conversational narrative. This number ends pacifically under a bass-and-drums spell.

“Mayor of Marcellus” emphasizes zigzagging consonances within an asymmetric form. It’s a lush-looking collective effort that mirrors the personal sense of composition and instrumental color in Carney’s artistry.

Written for a friend who died from brain cancer, “Forty Year Friend” is a sore, waltzing ballad brushed with sympathy and stirred by a clarinet statement and a subsequent sax-trumpet dialogue. Richards and Coltrane keep the conversation going on “Gerrymandered”, but having Noriega’s assertive bass clarinet right next to them on this occasion. They’re given a chance to flex their muscles with obliquity before an introspective piano deliberation transpires over a bass-only substructure.

With an incredibly open and wide view on jazz, Carney and his new group surprise at every turn. Pure Heart is candid creative music.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Inharmonicity ► 02 - Throwing Shades ► 05 - Gerrymandered

Tania Grubbs Quintet - Live at Maureen's Jazz Cellar

June 2, 2020

Label: Self released, 2020

Personnel - Tania Grubbs: vocals; David Budway: piano; Ron Affif: guitar; Jeff Grubbs: bass; James Johnson III: drums.

Pittsburgh-based vocalist Tania Grubbs fronts a jazz quintet featuring her husband, the bassist Jeff Grubbs, along with David Budway on piano, Ron Afiff on guitar, and James Johnson III on drums. The 12 tracks on this CD were recorded live at Maureen’s Jazz Cellar in Nyack, New York, and despite of the stylistically diverse repertoire, it’s clearly the jazz tradition and classic form that prevail in their interpretations.

Possessing a seductive vocal tone, which she uses with abandon, Tania remains restrained on Billy Strayhorn’s “A Flower is a Lovesome Thing”, the song that launches the session. The timid projection of her voice here contrasts with the blues that closes out the album, “Don’t Take Your Love From Me”.

If the ballads didn’t make a positive impression - Horace Silver’s “Peace” is imbued with cliched guitar details; Joni Mitchell’s “Love” carries no major twists; and Stephen Sondheim’s “I Remember” is a tepid vocal-piano duet with occasional bowed bass - then the folk-pop of Leonard Cohen’s “Bird on a Wire” together with the groovy country-jazz of Neil Young’s “Harvest Moon” provide an enjoyable listening experience. The group also nails the melancholic spirit of “The Peacocks”, the Jimmy Rowles-penned tune immortalized by Bill Evans, which is an emotional ride per se.

The energy of Charlie Parker’s bop classic “Ornithology” is there but with little amounts of inventiveness despite the apropos phrasing of the singer, who included one sole original in the program. “Hope is the Thing with Feathers” was inspired on Emily Dickinson’s poem of the same name, relying on a propulsive bossa groove and a sharp solo by Jeff to boost it.

Although the musical ideas fit the style, they often lack that sense of adventure I would like to have around. Sometimes the songs get trapped in repetitive vamps and gushing rhythmic patterns that fail to surprise. Nevertheless, even with some songs working far better than others, Tania should be able to carve a niche in the vocal pop and jazz continuums.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Bird on a Wire ► 07 - The Peacocks ► 09 - Harvest Moon