Search Results for: Whim of Fate

May 20 2014

Hans Feigenwinter ZINC – “Whim of Fate”

 

Hans Feigenwinter - "Whim of Fate"There is a lullaby beauty to Whim of Fate that is just as riveting as it is comforting.  The new release by pianist Hans Feigenwinter’s ZINC trio, however, isn’t sleepy music.  It has a potency that comes with a lively kick, but like a well-crafted, aged whiskey, the intoxicating effect that accompanies it is one that brings the curtain down with an infusion of warmth conducive to simply drifting off.

A trio of piano, trombone, and saxophone, ZINC constructs simple but strong melodies, then works through permutations with a slowly developing, kaleidoscopic display.  The most rewarding moments are when overlapping melodic statements break apart into divergent paths of piano improvisation and lush harmonies from sax and trombone.  Tracks like “Oberwil” and “Joringel, Wartend” and “I’d Love To” reflect that approach to the point where intoxicating becomes positively addictive.

Some tracks, though, break from the mold a bit.  “Right-Hand Twist” adopts a sharper tone and a shuffle cadence, whereas “Objet Trouvé” is a little dust storm of melody… bits peek out from within the rhythmic torrents.  And then there’s “Usa?” which adopts the album’s common formula, but hits the fast forward button, adding a playfulness that sets right with things.  “EMX” also utilizes a quick tempo, but even as improvisations flash by, the occasional returns to melody always keep the song well in sight.

Just a gorgeous album.

Your album personnel:  Hans Feigenwinter (piano), Andreas Tschopp (trombone), and Domenic Landolf (tenor & soprano saxes).

Released on Unit Records.

Jazz from the Basel, Switzerland scene.

Available at:  Amazon

By • Jazz Recommendations, Jazz Recommendations - 2014 Releases • 0 • Tags: , , ,

Jan 1 2015

Me and the 2014 NPR Music Jazz Critics Poll

 

BitW square avatarIt was my honor to participate in this year’s Jazz Critics Poll.  Begun originally by respected jazz critic Francis Davis, who used to set up shop at the Village Voice, and has now moved the entire dealio over to the NPR site.  This was the poll’s 9th edition.  I was flattered to be included again this year, my second time to cast a vote.

Here is a LINK to the amalgamated results, showing the top ten and also the top fifty, as well as some sub-categories.  It includes comments from Davis on each of the top ten results.  They also have sample tracks from each of the albums that fell in the top ten, and links to various other articles about the artists.

Davis talks about this year’s results in a column on the NPR site HERE, with an expanded take on this year’s winner, Steve Lehman Mise en Abîme.

Also, the individual ballots are compiled and maintained by Tom Hull over on his site, Hullworks.  Here’s a LINK to view them.  In addition, there’s now a list of all of the jazz critics (LINK), with each leading to their specific ballot.  My ballot (Dave Sumner) can be found HERE.

I can only imagine how exhausting it must’ve been to coordinate and compile all the lists.  My genuine respect for the work Davis, Hull and the NPR staff put into this.

(From Andrea Keller’s Wave Rider)

I have some thoughts on the results, you betcha.

So, not unlike the comparison of results from last year, my selections for the 2014 poll didn’t match up with the amalgamated list or, really, the list of anybody at all.

Here’s my ballot, beginning with my top album of the year.

  1. Fire! Orchestra – “Enter”
  2. Rob Mazurek & Black Cube SP – “Return the Tides”
  3. Rafael Karlen – “The Sweetness of Things Half-Remembered”
  4. John Ellis & Andy Bragen – “MOBRO”
  5. Diego Barber – “Tales”
  6. Hans Feigenwinter ZINC – “Whim of Fate”
  7. Andrea Keller – “Wave Rider”
  8. Angles 9 – “Injuries”
  9. Masaa – “Afkar”
  10. Roberto Negro – “Loving Suite Pour Birdy So”
  • Latin Jazz selection:  Danilo Perez – “Panama 500”
  • Debut selection:  Gonzalo Levin Octeto – “Gonzalo Levin Octeto”
  • Vocal selection:  Masaa – “Afkar”

Reissues/Archival:

  1. John Coltrane – “Offering”
  2. Jarrett/Haden/Motian – “Hamburg ’72”
  3. Jimmy Giuffre – “New York Concerts”

Not unlike the 2013 poll, most of my selections for New Releases only received a vote from myself.  My 4th selection, Barber’s “Tales” received three votes other than mine.  My 8th selection, Angles 9’s “Injuries” received two votes other than mine.  But that’s it.  My other eight selections had to settle for me being the only one to recognize their brilliance.

I’m not really surprised, though there’s a few, like Fire! Orchestra, Rob Mazurek, and John Ellis, where I would’ve expected to see a few others follow my wise lead of selecting them for consideration.  But all joking aside, it’s my sincere belief that the Jazz Critics Poll provides the opportunity for those albums to receive a second look by other critics.  The albums definitely deserve it.  And I’m thrilled to be given the additional platform of the NPR poll to provide that opportunity.

And much like last year, my selections for the various sub-categories were a mixed bag.  On the Reissues, I was in line with the critics, and that probably is due to a combination of there being less reissues than new releases, plus my own interests don’t lie in reissues, and so my experience with what’s out there isn’t as comprehensive.  I like my selections, though.

My choice for Latin Jazz, Danilo Perez’s excellent “Panama 500” made the list in 4th place.  My selections for Vocal and Debut didn’t rate on anybody else’s list.  Last year, my selection for Debut of the year, Jaimeo Brown’s “Transcendence” fell in line with other critics.  It was also my Album of the Year for 2013.

(From Diego Barber’s Tales)

So, how about that Jazz Critics amalgamated top ten?  Here’s some quick thoughts on each of them.  Some of my comments are going to be critical… harsh, even.  The thing I want each of you to take away is, please, go check these albums out for yourself.  What matters is whether you enjoy them or not, and while I may be critical about some of the albums in the Critic’s amalgamated top ten, there isn’t a one on the list that I don’t think deserves your attention.  All of them initially appeared on my own list of “potentials” when I first began creating my Best of 2014 list.  Well, except for the Sonny Rollins, but that’s a different issue I address further on down the column.  But even that wasn’t a question of music quality.

Let’s begin…

 

1.  Steve Lehman Octet – Mise en Abîme

This one got slotted at #18 on my own Best of 2014 list.  It’s a fascinating album, and it definitely possesses a cerebral quality that I look for.  But it really sort of ends right there.  Not terribly evocative from an emotional standpoint.  I find myself returning to this album quite a bit.  I’m always finding something new that amazes me.  But where it captures the imagination, it doesn’t do that so much with the heart.  That said, it’s one of the more amazing album to get released in 2014, and quite frankly, there’s very little that separates an album slotted at, say, #6 vs. #18.  I’m unsurprised to see it get the #1 slot on the amalgamated list, and the album does the jazz community proud by representing it as the champion of 2014 on the NPR Jazz Critics poll.

2.  Wadada Leo Smith – The Great Lakes Suites

Some strong musicianship on this recording and I love seeing Henry Threadgill get back in the mix (he’s one of the musicians to first get me into Jazz and modern jazz, too).  Trumpeter Smith puts out one huge project after the other, and this tribute to, yes, the Great Lakes here in the U.S., is no different.  This double-disc project didn’t make my Top 30, and was one of the early cuts of those albums under initial consideration.  This is such a joyless album.  There are some stunning moments from a perspective of technical proficiency, and the album does have heart, but the blood that flows through it is sort of lifeless and sad.  Even when the quartet shifts gears or tone, it’s not much of a sea change in comparison to what came before… it’s the kind of thing that leads to tedium.  And two CDs of this just gets to be too much.  Again, this isn’t a bad album, and as far as a music achievement, its inclusion in the amalgamated Critics list doesn’t offend me or seem out of place.  I can see why this album might capture the ear of other listeners.  But there were too many times that listening to the album became a drag, and it was easy enough to cross off the list.

3.  Ambrose Akinmusire – The Imagined Savior is Far Easier to Paint

This excellent album didn’t make my Best of 2014 list, but that’s a reflection of the depth of the modern jazz landscape and not the quality of this recording.  Follow the LINK to my recommendation of the album (on this site).  I can’t recall exactly when I cut this album from consideration during the process, but if my Best of 2014 list covered 50 albums (instead of 30), I’m pretty sure this one would have snuck in.  Definitely check it out.  I think it was my Wondering Sound Pick of the Week when it was first released.  Gotta love the Mingus-y album title.

4.  Sonny Rollins – Road Shows, Vol.4

See below.

5.  Mark Turner Quartet – Lathe of Heaven

I liked this album well enough, though I don’t think I ever gave it serious consideration for my own Best of 2014 list.  It’s a good album, solid, but not exceptional.  Follow the LINK to my recommendation of the album (on this site).  That said, if I were to create a Best Jazz Artist of 2014 column, Turner would be at or near the top of the list.  In addition to my recommendation to check out this album, find anything else he contributed to in 2014 and give that a listen, too.  It just seemed like all of 2014 I was writing about albums where I was noting Turner’s excellent contributions to the music.  Turner had a strong 2014.

6.  Marc Ribot Trio – Live at the Village Vanguard

Likable album with some strong moments performed by strong musicians.  I like that he touches upon Coltrane’s “Sun Ship” on the same album as he performs a cover of “Old Man River.”  I never wrote about the album for Bird is the Worm, but there’s a lot of good albums that I just don’t have the time or space for.  I liked the album well enough, but I’m surprised to see it fall into the Critics’ top ten.  But the live performance electricity really comes through nicely on the recorded medium, and add to that the artists imaginative takes on the music, I’m unsurprised to discover it resonated with a lot of other listeners.  Yes, I’m surprised to see it here, but I have no qualms about its appearance.  Quality music is quality music, which means it always has a valid claim to critical praise on Best Of lists.

7.  Jason Moran – All Rise:  A Joyful Elegy to Fats Waller

This is one that I’ve been listening to regularly ever since it first came out.  It was one of the last 10 cuts when I pared my list down to the final 30.  I’ll be publishing a recommendation for it in January.  I kept thinking my perspective on the music would change, one way or the other, but I still enjoy this recording the same way since the first listen.  If you get a chance to see this project performed live, go.  I was fortunate to catch Moran do the Waller thing at the Chicago Jazz Fest a couple of Summers ago, and it’s still one of the best things I’ve seen on stage in a while.

8.  Brian Blade & the Fellowship Band – Landmarks

This one is an overreach.  I enjoy this album, and Brian Blade’s Fellowship albums are some of the very best things to ever happen to the modern jazz scene.  If I begin talking about Fellowship albums like Perceptual and Season of Changes, I will get seriously fanboy without the least bit of provocation.  Buy all four of the Fellowship albums immediately.  Follow this LINK to my recommendation of Landmarks, which is the fourth of Blade’s Fellowship recording.  Buy it.  It’s a really good album.  But it’s a step down from the excellent Season of Changes, and it also pales in comparison to Perceptual.  It’s the Fellowship band making a very Fellowship-ish album.  It’s more of the good stuff, but the good stuff doesn’t necessarily get you on a Best Of list.  Brian Blade is one of the best things on the modern scene and taken as a whole, his Fellowship albums are amazing.  But viewed individually, Landmarks doesn’t quite reach the bar set by previous recordings.  But, seriously, still buy it.  Just get Season of Changes and Perceptual first.

9.  Kenny Barron & Dave Holland – The Art of Conversation

I mean, yeah, okay, it’s a nice enough album.  You’ve got two jazz giants recording a duo collaboration in the studio, so it’s going to have some solid moments.  It just gets a little dull at times.  I think this one gets up there more on the reputation of the artists than the album itself.  Did I enjoy listening to it?  Yes, definitely.  Do I ever pine to listen to it again?  No, not really.  To my mind, if an album doesn’t have staying power, if it isn’t the kind of recording you feel compelled to return to even when your listening queue is overwhelmed with new releases, then it’s probably not a Best Of recording.

10.  Jane Ira Bloom – Sixteen Sunsets

I liked this album well enough when I first sat down with it, but nothing about it ever would’ve prepared me for seeing it receive a pretty strong consensus as Best Of album.  There are some gorgeous moments on the recording, but there are also some lulls in the action.  I first became aware that something was up when the excellent jazz critic Kevin Whitehead first vouched for it during the creation of the Wondering Sound 25 Best Jazz Albums of 2014 list.  But I can see how a sublime soprano sax album can grab the ear of a listener.  However, I was caught off guard seeing it grab so many critical ears.  I’m thinking maybe I need to revisit this one.  Interesting.

(From Hans Feigenwinter ZINC’s Whim of Fate)

Now, on to that Sonny Rollins album…

This year saw the clarification of what gets considered a New Release vs. what is considered a Reissue/Archival selection.  I’m going to refer to it as the “Sonny Rollins rule.”  The last handful of years, the jazz legend, thankfully, has been releasing some cherry-picked live performance recordings from tours that occurred over the last ten years or so… entitled Road Shows, with Volume 3 getting a 2014 release.

As you’ll notice, the third installment got slotted at #4 on the amalgamated critics list.  Y’know, whatever.  The third volume pales in comparison to the first two volumes.  It begins slowly.  The first couple of tracks are nothing special… it only picks up steam (and a lot of it) in the second half.  That alone would disqualify it from consideration from my own list.  But it also covers material that’s over ten years old.  How are you going to call that a new release?  And it’s not even the same concert.  It’s a de facto compilation album.

And what does it say about the state of jazz when you’ve got well-respected critics saying that the best Jazz in 2014 are cherry-picked songs from concerts held between 2001 and 2012 by an artist whose best work was performed in the 1960s?  It’s great that Rollins is releasing this music and it’s great that the jazz community is celebrating this jazz legend.  And there’s nothing wrong with loving any of the Road Shows volumes and there’s nothing wrong with saying, hey, this is one of my favorite things to come out in 2014… but, damn, slot it in the Re-issues/Archival section and leave the New Releases section for actual new releases.

Well, the clarification says that anything recorded within the last ten years counts as a new release, which allowed many people to include Volume 3 in their “current” releases list.  It bugs me.  I mean, look, even though I don’t agree with the rule and don’t agree with the inclusion of Road Shows Vol.3 in the Best of 2014 new releases list, I’m not going to have any problem learning to live in a world where the rule exists.  Besides, Rollins certainly has earned all of the attention and praise that he’s getting… there’s no controversy there.  It just bugs me is all.  I imagine it’s not unlike the supreme irritation that some people suffer when they see a Best Of list like mine and say, dammit, most of those albums aren’t even Jazz!  I guess there’s plenty of differing perspectives to go around.

I want to end this section by stressing that you should go check out all of those Road Shows albums, beginning with the first volume.  They’re all really really good, and you owe it to yourself to see if they float your boat.  There’s some seriously majestic playing on those albums.

About those perspectives on Jazz…

A question I am perpetually haunted by is an old one- “Is this even Jazz?”  It’s a query that could be applied to many in my Top 30… many in my top ten, even.  NPR’s Patrick Jarenwattananon was interviewed about the 2014 Jazz Critics poll on WBGO’s The Checkout podcast, and the interviewer seemed particularly exasperated that producer Flying Lotus’s electronica/fusion/beyond genre 2014 release wasn’t included on the NPR list, referring to the fact that many jazz musicians perform on the recording and that it has some similarities to Miles Davis’s fusion period of the 70s/80s.

This kind of justification is not uncommon.  However, the presence of jazz musicians on an album doesn’t make the music jazz… most jazz musicians possess an abundance of training, talent and experience that they can attain a level of excellence in any number of music genres.  The other flaw in that argument is tracing lineage back to music that was already a jazz outlier, I.E. well, this is similar to this which is similar to this which is similar to this, which kind of sounds like traditional jazz.  How long does the trail of breadcrumbs need to extend out from Jazz center before it just stops being Jazz?

With much on the modern scene, I believe we’ve surpassed that distance, and I had to quickly check my own exasperation at the Flying Lotus suggestion because, hey, I do the same thing… All. Of. The. Time.

Listen through my Best of 2014 list.  How many of those recordings are truly Jazz albums?  How many of them have a foundation in the blues?  How many of them adopt a sense of swing?  The strongest tie to traditional forms of jazz music these albums possess is heavy improvisation.  But this is one of those dog-chihuahua things… jazz requires a certain amount of improvisation but improvised music is not necessarily jazz.  And, yet, here I am lauding this great music (and it is great music) as the Best Jazz of 2014.  It’s not entirely accurate and it is a perpetual struggle within me… the jazz purist vs. the big-tent-jazz-is-music-meant-to-evolve battle.

Sometimes I regret even pigeonholing my site by using the word Jazz.  Sometimes I think I might be doing Jazz more harm than good by taking the Big Tent approach.  Ultimately, though, I just want to find the best music out there, no matter how tenuous its ties to traditional Jazz, and help get the spotlight on it.  That’s what matters most to me, and if you take anything away from this column at all, it should be that the only question that matters is: “Do I like this album?”

You come to my site and check out everything I recommend.  You like what you like and take a pass on the albums you don’t.  Easy peasy.  Matters of categorization and genre and tradition should only be a secondary concern.  I just felt like mentioning that it’s something I think about, and since this kind of blog-y Year In Review column seems to bring out the cerebral babbler in me, well, here I am typing about it.

I love my Best of 2014 list.  It’s the best collection of music you can find… no matter what you or I decide to call it.

For tomorrow’s column, I’ll talk a little bit more about my Best of 2014 list, the year of 2014 in general and what’s on the horizon in January 2015.

Cheers.

By • Announcement - Music, Other Writing • 0 • Tags:

Dec 29 2014

Bird is the Worm Best of 2014: Albums 6-10

 

Today’s post reveals the 6th through the 10th Bird is the Worm Top 30 jazz albums of 2014.

*****

 

BitW square avatarA Best Of album has to hit me right in my heart and provoke a strong emotional reaction.  A Best Of album has to engage my head and elicit a cerebral connection.  Give me some intrigue.  Show me your music has got personality.  Extra points are awarded for doing Something Different.  I want to hear music that embraces the best qualities of creativity.  Strong musicianship alone is not enough.  Many excellent albums fall short of earning a slot on the list.  It literally pains me when I see some of the albums that aren’t included on my Best Of lists.  But I listen to a lot of music, and one of the rare downsides to encountering so much great Jazz is that some of it won’t receive the recognition it deserves.  So there you have it.

No matter how diligent a listener is and no matter how thoroughly that person covers the music scene, there will always be albums that slip through the cracks.  It’s a matter of the scarcity of time vs. the overflow of music.  It’s also a matter of subjectivity.  I try to instill an objectivity into the affair, judging each album’s qualities without consideration for my own personal preferences… at least, as much as I am able.  I can say for certain, my Best of 2014 list looks different than my personal Favorites of 2014 list.  No attempt to encapsulate the 2014 jazz album landscape will be fully comprehensive, but I humbly offer up my list with a confidence that these albums represent the best that 2014 had to offer.  But it’s a list that’s likely to gain a few addendums with the passing of time.

What you’ll read below are not reviews.  They are simple thoughts, reminiscences, fragments of recollections, and brief opinions about how each album struck me both now and when I first heard it.  There is a link to a more formal write-up following each entry… that’s where you go to find out what’s what about each recording.  Those write-ups are accompanied with embedded audio of an album track, as well as personnel and label information, links to artist, label, and retail sites, and anything else that seemed relevant at the time I wrote about the album.  Follow those links.  They might just lead to your next most favorite album ever.

Beginning on January 25th, I will be revealing 5 albums a day, with the 2014 Album of the Year announcement occurring on December 31st.  The posts will appear on the site’s main page.  This list will get updated 24 hours after each post.

So, with all that out of the way:  Let’s begin…

*****

 

6.  Hans Feigenwinter ZINC – Whim of Fate

Hans Feigenwinter - "Whim of Fate"There is a lullaby beauty to Whim of Fate that is just as riveting as it is comforting. The trio of Hans Feigenwinter (piano), Andreas Tschopp (trombone) and Domenic Landolf (tenor & soprano saxes) adopt flight patterns that are locked in tight with one another, and it’s why melodies are thicker, rhythms livelier and harmonies warmer than they would be were each musician off doing their own thing with only a cursory thought toward cohesiveness.  It’s an album of songs, each presented with a soft touch and resounding sigh, and while a few tracks break the mold with a little bit of random combustibility, they only serve to enhance the abiding structure rather than detract from it.  There is something supremely satisfying about the beauty expressed by these (relatively) straight-forward tunes.  In large part, it’s a result of masterfully crafted melodies, and the way in which the trio adds ornamentation and tangential creative ideas to the melody, sometimes with a plan in mind and sometimes as an afterthought.  It’s a beauty that unfolds slowly and seems without end… until the trio returns to that opening statement and brings the song home, full circle.  Just a gorgeous album with the most appealingly languorous disposition.

Released on Unit Records.

Read more at Bird is the Worm (LINK).

*****

7.  Andrea Keller Quartet with Strings – Wave Rider

Andrea Keller Quartet - "Wave Rider"This is how to add strings to a jazz session.  Pianist Andrea Keller avoids the easy temptation to use a string quartet for some cheap harmonic thrills and instead incorporates them into the working ideas of her jazz quartet as if strings were part of the full-time plan.  The result is accentuating the nuances and making them resonate so much stronger and taking the big moments and letting them absolutely soar.  This is thrilling music one moment after the other, but it’s the way in which Keller insinuates passages of contemplation into the expansive sound that really cinches the deal.  The ebb and flow of intensity keeps the ear alert at all times, even when it’s drinking in one dreamy interlude after the other.

Released on the Jazzhead label.

Read more at Bird is the Worm (LINK).

*****

8.  Angles 9 – Injuries

Angles 9 - "Injuries"The winning formula here is the way that saxophonist Martin Küchen‘s Angles ensemble lets each song bolt right up to the precipice of coming apart at the seams, just to then bring it all back together in a final act of cohesion.  This tension, added to all the wild euphoria his nonet generates over the course of seven avant-garde party-time tracks, makes for a terrifically thrilling album.  Heavy on the wind instruments and percussion, they develop a huge sound that comes off as so much bigger by way of the raw emotion and sense of fun imparted by each tune.  Küchen keeps adding members to his Angles project ensemble, and unsurprisingly, they become increasingly boisterous with each subsequent recording.

Released on Clean Feed Records.

Read more at Bird is the Worm (LINK).

*****

9.  Masaa – Afkar

Masaa - "Afkar"Forging a bond between modern European jazz and Lebanese vocals, Masaa is in the enviable position of pairing traits not so easily combined… of being both engagingly cerebral and possessing a beauty that is just plain heartbreaking.  Afkar is an album of sudden and thrilling changes in pace and emotion, and it’s pretty easy to get swept up in the process.  And though it is unconventional to encounter the pairing of Lebanese vocals in a jazz setting, it doesn’t prevent the music from presenting itself as pretty much a straight-ahead jazz album.  Even when faced with something different, the result is immutably familiar.

Released on Traumton Records.

Read more at Bird is the Worm (LINK).

*****

10.  Roberto Negro – Loving Suite pour Birdy So

Roberto Negro - "Loving Suite pour Birdy So"Every motion, every note from Roberto Negro‘s Loving Suite pour Birdy So is sheer poetry.  There are elements of jazz, folk, chamber and pop in this music, but it’s not a blend of influences so much as an entirely new language, a new form of creative expression that just happens to have similar qualities to the aforementioned genres.  A live wire electricity is balanced with an elegance and curious tunefulness that is positively arresting.  The more challenging tracks possess an inimitable charm that renders the complexities as easy to accept as a warm smile.  There isn’t a moment on this excellent album that doesn’t generate all kinds of intrigue.  There are moments when I reconsider not having slotted it higher up on the Best of 2014 list.  Great albums will have that kind of effect.

Released on La Curieuse.

Read more at Bird is the Worm (LINK).

*****

 

Tomorrow’s post reveals the 2014 Bird is the Worm #2–#5 albums of the year.

Cheers.

By • Jazz Recommendations, Jazz Recommendations - 2014 Releases, Recap: Best of 2014 • 2 • Tags:

Dec 25 2014

Best of 2014

 

BitW square avatarA Best Of album has to hit me right in my heart and provoke a strong emotional reaction.  A Best Of album has to engage my head and elicit a cerebral connection.  Give me some intrigue.  Show me your music has got personality.  Extra points are awarded for doing Something Different.  I want to hear music that embraces the best qualities of creativity.  Strong musicianship alone is not enough.  Many excellent albums fall short of earning a slot on the list.  It literally pains me when I see some of the albums that aren’t included on my Best Of lists.  But I listen to a lot of music, and one of the rare downsides to encountering so much great Jazz is that some of it won’t receive the recognition it deserves.  So there you have it.

No matter how diligent a listener is and no matter how thoroughly that person covers the music scene, there will always be albums that slip through the cracks.  It’s a matter of the scarcity of time vs. the overflow of music.  It’s also a matter of subjectivity.  I try to instill an objectivity into the affair, judging each album’s qualities without consideration for my own personal preferences… at least, as much as I am able.  I can say for certain, my Best of 2014 list looks different than my personal Favorites of 2014 list.  No attempt to encapsulate the 2014 jazz album landscape will be fully comprehensive, but I humbly offer up my list with a confidence that these albums represent the best that 2014 had to offer.  But it’s a list that’s likely to gain a few addendums with the passing of time.

What you’ll read below are not reviews.  They are simple thoughts, reminiscences, fragments of recollections, and brief opinions about how each album struck me both now and when I first heard it.  There is a link to a more formal write-up following each entry… that’s where you go to find out what’s what about each recording.  Those write-ups are accompanied with embedded audio of an album track, as well as personnel and label information, links to artist, label, and retail sites, and anything else that seemed relevant at the time I wrote about the album.  Follow those links.  They might just lead to your next most favorite album ever.

Beginning on January 25th, I will be revealing 5 albums a day, with the 2014 Album of the Year announcement occurring on December 31st.  The posts will appear on the site’s main page.  This list will get updated 24 hours after each post.

So, with all that out of the way:  Let’s begin…

*****

 

1.  Fire! Orchestra – Enter

Fire! Orchestra - "Enter"Enter is a massive creative statement.  Everything Fire! Orchestra does is Big.  The rises and falls of intensity have an epic presence.  It also possesses an attention to detail, and no matter how big the sound becomes, it finds a way to reflect all the nuance and details of the varied musics that influence this thrilling album.  It is challenging music that cloaks itself in a pop music persona.  It’s why the clashes of dissonance and chaotic waves of intensity don’t detract from the album’s personable nature… not unlike how Tom Waits’ gravelly voice can sing perfectly of heartbreak, home, loneliness and love with more genuineness than any pop star.

No matter how many times the album is played, its impact is no less resonant or affecting.  The avant-garde big band Fire! Orchestra goes all-in on Enter, guided by an astute intelligence and powered by a huge heart.

The Bird is the Worm 2014 Album of the Year.

Released on Rune Grammofon.

Read more at Bird is the Worm (LINK).

*****

2.  Rob Mazurek & Black Cube SP – Return the Tides:  Ascension Suite & Holy Ghost

Rob Mazurek - "Return the Tides"Recorded in the aftermath of the sudden passing of Rob Mazurek‘s mother, Return the Tides is creativity as the vehicle for the outpouring of pure emotion.  The music influences are many of the usual suspects from Mazurek’s diverse, eclectic background… there’s the updated Tropicalia, there’s the space-y trip-rock, there’s the post-bop, there’s the avant-garde, there’s the electronica, the jazz-rock fusion, there’s the waves of improvisation, one after the other… and, really, all of that is secondary to the influence of personal loss, exposing all the raw emotions as one strives to heal and move on.  It’s these interludes of intensity and transition that can lead to a place where little difference between art and artist exists.  It’s from those moments of unity that the most sincere and honest creativity is generated, and this album is exactly that from first note to last.  This album wears its heart on its sleeve.  This is as powerful as music gets.

Released on Cuneiform Records.

Read more at Bird is the Worm (LINK).

*****

3.  Rafael Karlen – The Sweetness of Things Half-Remembered

Rafael Karlen - "The Sweetness of Things Half Remembered"In recent years, there’s been a huge uptick of musicians uniting their classical training and their jazz experience into the same expression.  Rafael Karlen’s sublime 2014 release is one of the best examples of this trend at its best.  On this chamber jazz session, the saxophonist is joined by pianist Steve Newcomb and a string quartet for an album so lovely it exists in a state of perfection.  Striking imagery is framed in vignettes of harmonic warmth, susurrant rhythms and melodies of a heavenly elegance and grace.  The flights of improvisation are just as strong as the compositional foundations they spring from.  There’s an alluring languorous pace to this music… one that abides even when the ensemble summons up brief animated flurries.  About as beautiful as an album can get.

This Self-Produced album was released on Pinnacles Music.

Read more at Bird is the Worm (LINK).

*****

4.  John Ellis & Andy Bragen – MOBRO

John Ellis - "MOBRO"Saxophonist John Ellis and playwright Andy Bragen take the anecdotal story of a trash barge and turn it into an epic story.  This exhilarating interpretation of the pop culture curiosity, MOBRO 4000 is adapted as the framework for a through-composed large ensemble work about environmentalism, isolationism and society.  Loaded with wind instruments, guitars and vocalists, this piece originally meant for live performance loses none of its wild expressiveness on the recorded medium.  So over-the-top theatrical at times that it’s transformed into massive serious dialog, not unlike how the comedy in satire reveals grave, hidden truths.  A great story behind a great album, just overflowing with personality.  Of all the albums on the Best of 2014 list, this is the one you want as your drinking buddy.  This is pure, unabashed creativity here, reflecting the kind of vision we want all our artists to adopt.

Released on Parade Light Records.

Read more at Bird is the Worm (LINK).

*****

5.  Diego Barber – Tales

Diego Barber - "Tales"An amazing duo collaboration between guitarist Diego Barber and pianist Craig Taborn.  Based on prior work, both musicians rate at the top of the class on their respective instruments, and this 2014 session only adds to their bona fides.  Barber continues to expand on his inventive approach with classical guitar in a jazz setting.  These four pieces are simultaneously meditative and excitable.  Long interludes develop sequentially from the foundation of strong melodies, taking paths so far away from the opening sounds that it’s stunning when the duo return to the nest from which those melodies sprung.  It’s the breathless creativity that carries long distances like a proud river from one melodic fragment to the next that signifies this album’s remarkable display of musicianship.  Just outstanding.

Released on Sunnyside Records.

Read more at Bird is the Worm (LINK).

Worth noting that I’ll be publishing an overview of Barber’s entire catalog in January 2015, which will include a write-up of Tales.  So, stay in touch.

*****

6.  Hans Feigenwinter ZINC – Whim of Fate

Hans Feigenwinter - "Whim of Fate"There is a lullaby beauty to Whim of Fate that is just as riveting as it is comforting. The trio of Hans Feigenwinter (piano), Andreas Tschopp (trombone) and Domenic Landolf (tenor & soprano saxes) adopt flight patterns that are locked in tight with one another, and it’s why melodies are thicker, rhythms livelier and harmonies warmer than they would be were each musician off doing their own thing with only a cursory thought toward cohesiveness.  It’s an album of songs, each presented with a soft touch and resounding sigh, and while a few tracks break the mold with a little bit of random combustibility, they only serve to enhance the abiding structure rather than detract from it.  There is something supremely satisfying about the beauty expressed by these (relatively) straight-forward tunes.  In large part, it’s a result of masterfully crafted melodies, and the way in which the trio adds ornamentation and tangential creative ideas to the melody, sometimes with a plan in mind and sometimes as an afterthought.  It’s a beauty that unfolds slowly and seems without end… until the trio returns to that opening statement and brings the song home, full circle.  Just a gorgeous album with the most appealingly languorous disposition.

Released on Unit Records.

Read more at Bird is the Worm (LINK).

*****

7.  Andrea Keller Quartet with Strings – Wave Rider

Andrea Keller Quartet - "Wave Rider"This is how to add strings to a jazz session.  Pianist Andrea Keller avoids the easy temptation to use a string quartet for some cheap harmonic thrills and instead incorporates them into the working ideas of her jazz quartet as if strings were part of the full-time plan.  The result is accentuating the nuances and making them resonate so much stronger and taking the big moments and letting them absolutely soar.  This is thrilling music one moment after the other, but it’s the way in which Keller insinuates passages of contemplation into the expansive sound that really cinches the deal.  The ebb and flow of intensity keeps the ear alert at all times, even when it’s drinking in one dreamy interlude after the other.

Released on the Jazzhead label.

Read more at Bird is the Worm (LINK).

*****

8.  Angles 9 – Injuries

Angles 9 - "Injuries"The winning formula here is the way that saxophonist Martin Küchen‘s Angles ensemble lets each song bolt right up to the precipice of coming apart at the seams, just to then bring it all back together in a final act of cohesion.  This tension, added to all the wild euphoria his nonet generates over the course of seven avant-garde party-time tracks, makes for a terrifically thrilling album.  Heavy on the wind instruments and percussion, they develop a huge sound that comes off as so much bigger by way of the raw emotion and sense of fun imparted by each tune.  Küchen keeps adding members to his Angles project ensemble, and unsurprisingly, they become increasingly boisterous with each subsequent recording.

Released on Clean Feed Records.

Read more at Bird is the Worm (LINK).

*****

9.  Masaa – Afkar

Masaa - "Afkar"Forging a bond between modern European jazz and Lebanese vocals, Masaa is in the enviable position of pairing traits not so easily combined… of being both engagingly cerebral and possessing a beauty that is just plain heartbreaking.  Afkar is an album of sudden and thrilling changes in pace and emotion, and it’s pretty easy to get swept up in the process.  And though it is unconventional to encounter the pairing of Lebanese vocals in a jazz setting, it doesn’t prevent the music from presenting itself as pretty much a straight-ahead jazz album.  Even when faced with something different, the result is immutably familiar.

Released on Traumton Records.

Read more at Bird is the Worm (LINK).

*****

10.  Roberto Negro – Loving Suite pour Birdy So

Roberto Negro - "Loving Suite pour Birdy So"Every motion, every note from Roberto Negro‘s Loving Suite pour Birdy So is sheer poetry.  There are elements of jazz, folk, chamber and pop in this music, but it’s not a blend of influences so much as an entirely new language, a new form of creative expression that just happens to have similar qualities to the aforementioned genres.  A live wire electricity is balanced with an elegance and curious tunefulness that is positively arresting.  The more challenging tracks possess an inimitable charm that renders the complexities as easy to accept as a warm smile.  There isn’t a moment on this excellent album that doesn’t generate all kinds of intrigue.  There are moments when I reconsider not having slotted it higher up on the Best of 2014 list.  Great albums will have that kind of effect.

Released on La Curieuse.

Read more at Bird is the Worm (LINK).

*****

11.  Mark Feldman Quartet – Birdies for Lulu

Mark Feldman - "Birdies for Lulu"I am perpetually amazed at the way in which violinist Mark Feldman has created an album of such striking beauty by using clashes of dissonance, chaotic rhythms and thin melodic fragments as his ingredients.  Joined by long-time collaborator, pianist Sylvie Courvoisier and a new rhythm section of drummer Billy Mintz and bassist Scott Colley, the quartet has constructed an avant-garde recording that is remarkably embraceable.  At times, the music is abrasive and curt and acerbic, and yet it’s a quality of a slowly unfolding beauty that most defines Birdies for Lulu.  A hell of an accomplishment to have made such a challenging, complex album so damn personable.

Released on Intakt Records.

Read more at Bird is the Worm (LINK).

*****

12.  Get the Blessing – Lope and Antilope

Get the Blessing - "Lope & Antilope"Arguably, Get the Blessing‘s 2014 release Lope and Antilope is the most addictive recording released in 2014.  Its thick grooves, its toothsome melodies, its blending of traditional instruments and live electronics & effects, and the seamless flow between resting place and wild improvisations… the quartet of saxophones, trumpet, bass and drums (plus guest guitarist) package it all up into tight bundles of positive energy, the kind of electricity that engages and excites and keeps the listener asking for more.  Their newest is a huge step up from past recordings, which used similar elements to build some solid albums, but never with the transformative effect seen here.  It’s a complex album built over four straight days of pure improvisation, and that they are able to incorporate the tight structure and accessibility of an indie-pop recording within that framework is damn impressive.  It’s also about as fun a listen as you’ll encounter.

Released on Naim Label.

Read more at Bird is the Worm (LINK).

*****

13.  The Westerlies – Wish the Children Would Come On Home: The Music of Wayne Horvitz

The Westerlies - "Wish the Children Would Come On Home"No matter whether it’s big band jazz, free improvisation and avant-garde, traditional blues, down-home folk, chamber music or jazz electronica, the curious music of composer Wayne Horvitz has a singular sound unlike no other.  It is seriously vivid music that is not so easy to synthesize down to bare elements… the music just sort of exists by its own set of rules.  And so it’s an impressive challenge taken on by The Westerlies to embrace Horvitz’s varied songbook and interpret it for brass quartet.  They score extra points for the difficulty of the endeavor, but ultimately it’s their performance that wins the day.  They manage to channel the varied, distinct personalities of Horvitz’s music (the folk has a back porch languor, the chamber has warmth & elegance, the jazz electronica period is provided all its inherent quirkiness, and Horvitz’s more undefinable works are endowed with their cinematic sense of mystery and strange, emanating warmth) while binding it all together with their own personal view of Horvitz’s music.  It is, perhaps, The Westerlies’ ability to capture the personality of the Horvitz originals in the same breath that they express the compositions with their own creative voice that is the album’s mark of excellence… but it one compelling aspect of a very compelling debut.

Released on Songlines Recordings.

Read more at Bird is the Worm (LINK) and even more (LINK).

In addition, there’s gonna be a rather long write-up about the album publishing in mid-January, so stay in touch.

*****

14.  Gonzalo Levin Octeto – Gonzalo Levin Octeto

Gonzalo Levin Octeto - "Gonzalo Levin Octeto"Saxophonist Gonzalo Levin‘s self-titled debut lives a little in the present and a little in the past.  There’s some swing and bop that speaks to an earlier era of jazz and there’s some melodic and rhythmic expansiveness that reflects the looser, less defined expression of jazz today.  But the thing that binds this excellent recording together is the simple formula of tight, beautifully interwoven ensemble play interspersed by lively, dynamic solos.  Every time I hear this album, I marvel at its grace and fluid motion and the way its low center of gravity realizes an evocative punch from seemingly innocuous passages.  The album is built upon a foundation of strong melodies, lively rhythms, and harmonic sections that can be seriously uplifting when they’re not taking lovely meditative turns.  Considering that five of eight slots are filled by wind instruments, it would’ve been so easy for Levin to lay the harmonies on thick, but by instead working the nuances and details to great effect, his light touch gains so much more.  This is straight-ahead jazz even when it stretches that definition to its breaking point… the kind of jazz likely to appeal to both old-school and new-school fans alike.  It’s a seriously promising debut.

Released on Whatabout Music.

Read more at Bird is the Worm (LINK).

*****

15.  Thomas Savy – Bleu Archipel 2

Thomas Savy - "Bleu Archipel 2"It’s so refreshing to hear a bass clarinet-led album that displays the instrument’s potential for profound lyricism, while developing a nice flow without tempering the instrument’s attractive edginess.  This result, in the instance of Thomas Savy‘s 2014 release, is an album that is both moody and combustible.  Modern all the way, though the music switches between variations of that tag throughout, sometimes charting a post-bop course, other times a space-y jazz fusion groove (especially when piano is switched out for Rhodes), while on other tracks the quintet takes an unusual approach to older jazz forms, notably an intriguing rendition of Monk’s “Misterioso.”  But, in the end, it all comes down to Savy’s bass clarinet, front and center, and the mesmerizing spell it casts over the entire affair.

Released on Plus Loin Music.

Read more at Bird is the Worm (LINK).

*****

16.  Sylvain Rifflet & Jon Irabagon – Perpetual Motion: A Celebration of Moondog

Sylvain Rifflet & Jon Irabagon - "Perpetual Motion"The brilliant re-imagining of the music of eccentric composer, musician and poet, Louis Thomas Hardin (aka Moondog) by the saxophone duo of Sylvain Rifflet and Jon Irabagon possesses an intelligence exceeded only by its delirious sense of fun and adventure… qualities embodied by the music of the original composer himself.  This is unconventional avant-garde music made supremely approachable… a sneaky kind of challenging music.  And that they are able to take Moondog’s compositions and shape them both into things familiar and vastly different from the original reflects the thoughtfulness that lies beneath all the delirious fun.

Released on Jazz Village Music.

Read more at Bird is the Worm (LINK).

*****

17.  Alexander Hawkins Ensemble – Step Wide, Step Deep

Alexander Hawkins - "Step Wide Step Deep"There isn’t a moment of Alexander Hawkins‘ 2014 release that doesn’t demand the listener’s attention.  Avant-garde music that doesn’t turn its back on the traditional forms of music… blues, jazz, folk… that led to the point where music can evolve and reshape and re-imagine itself to take the form of Step Wide, Step Deep.  The clash and fray of dissonance occasionally subsides and allows a passage of down-home blues or post-bop melodicism to appear.  These bursts of tunefulness amidst the ramshackle chaos are the moments that define the distinct personality of this album in all its phases and goes a long way to illustrating why this album is so fascinating.

Released on Babel Label.

Read more at Bird is the Worm (LINK).

*****

18.  Steve Lehman Octet – Mise en Abîme

Steve Lehman - "Mise en Abime"This is perhaps the most cryptic album on the Best of 2014 list.  Steve Lehman‘s newest possesses a slippery kind of dialog, one where the entire context of the song can change depending on whether the prevailing motion of woodwinds or the rhythm section is the dominant attribute at any one particular time.  But these aren’t opposing forces… they work in tandem even as they seem to exhibit different perspectives on what’s what.  It’s one of those recordings where there’s really nothing pretty about it, but it’s so damn compelling that it’s difficult to look away.  Undoubtedly, you’re going to encounter Best Of lists that has Mise en Abîme slotted as the album of the year.  It’s a scenario unlikely to draw much controversy.  This album has the qualities you look for in a champ.

Released on Pi Recordings.

Read more at Bird is the Worm (LINK).

*****

19.  Lo-Res – La Sortie

Lo-Res - "La Sortie"This melodically charged album utilizes its ethereal presence and forms its own rules of engagement.  The music of Lo-Res hangs like clouds heavy with rain and lightning and thunder, and just the mere insinuation of the potential for elemental violence is enough to provide the intensity to these lovely, drifting tunes led out by the airy lightness of Belinda Woods‘ flute.  The infusions of folk and pop music provide a personable quality to this music, balancing out its strongly meditative tendencies.  That huge presence and the album’s potent melodicism secure it a spot among 2014’s best.

This album is Self-Produced.

Read more at Bird is the Worm (LINK).

*****

20.  Bob Stewart – Connections: Mind the Gap

Bob Stewart - "Connections- Mind the Gap"Jazz veteran Bob Stewart has lent his tuba to a number of straight-ahead and avant-garde projects over the course of his career, and so it’s no wonder that he’s able assimilate the qualities of both into this fascinating panoramic of jazz, both old and new.  That he’s also able to seamlessly incorporate a string quartet into a tightly woven fabric only makes the feat that much more impressive, not to mention, the music that much more substantive.  Everything about this music is challenging, and yet it’s also so damn alluring that it negates any potential difficulty to connect with it.  Complex music made simple, creative depth so light one could float upon it.  Strange & beautiful music is a phrase that is occasionally overused, but in this instance, it is wholly applicable.

Released on Sunnyside Records.

Read more at Bird is the Worm (LINK).

*****

21.  Copenhagen Art Ensemble – Reuterswärd

Copenhagen Art Ensemble - "Reutersward"The premise of this recording is the work of multi-medium artist Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd.  The Copenhagen Art Ensemble embraces his work both in the spirit of the expressions but also by incorporating his poems and writings into the fabric of the music.  This bit of meta experimentalism is all kinds of intriguing, but, ultimately, it’s the spirit of the project that leads to the greatest rewards on Reuterswärd.  The free improvisations, the orchestral jazz passages, the beer hall hymns and the European jazz constructs all blend seamlessly together like sections of a dream, building an inexplicable cohesiveness between songs that is as comforting as a lullaby before a restful night of sleep… sections that scatter freely into cryptic patterns of dissonance and those that coalesce into the lovely, succinct expressions of heartbreak and humor.  The Ensemble makes the work of Reuterswärd intimately familiar even if this album is the first time a listener has encountered his name.  It’s a hell of an achievement to take on the lofty goal of encapsulating the many art forms of a particular artist with the result being music that is challenging yet so endearing that a connection is simple to forge between instrument and ear.  Intelligent, whimsical, and undeniably beautiful.

Released on ILK Music.

Read more at Bird is the Worm (LINK).

*****

22.  Danilo Perez – Panama 500

Danilo Perez - "Panama 500"When you boil it all down, it’s simply a beautiful album.  However, there’s nothing particularly simple about Danilo Perez’s expansive take on the history of his native Panama.  The pianist tackles the subject from a music standpoint as well as from factual and metaphorical perspectives.  But the wide lens doesn’t preclude his ensemble from drawing gorgeous tones from the details and expanding nuance into profound statements.  Indigenous musics come together with later Panamanian musics as well as those from Cuba, Africa, Europe and NYC.  The concept is a fascinating one, but it’s not required reading in order to enjoy this thoroughly engaging… and beautiful… album.

Released on Mack Avenue Records.

Read more at Bird is the Worm (LINK).

*****

23.  Friensemblet – El Aaiun: Across the Border

Mathilde Grooss Viddal - "El Aaiun Across the Border"I’m still quite taken with this live performance from Friensemblet, the large ensemble led by Mathilde Grooss Viddal.  A nifty mix of old-school ECM folk-jazz and 1970s Alice Coltrane soul-on-the-sleeve spiritual adventurism, Viddal’s ensemble cycles through a spinning mix of free improv fervor, spiritual jazz drift-and-groove, minimalist drone, Indian raga and Nordic folk… and, undoubtedly, a few other things in the mix.  It’s a thrilling performance that deftly balances the qualities of a serious intellect and a fun disposition.  There aren’t a lot of ensembles that set out to build just such a construct, and there are even fewer doing it this well.

Released on Viddal’s Giraffa Records.

Read more at Bird is the Worm (LINK).

*****

24.  Otis Brown III – The Thought of You

Otis Brown III - "The Thought of You"This album is a classic Blue Note 1960s hard bop recording, set to swing with an abundance of warmth.  This album is a modern post-bop session, loaded with melodic excursions, cross-genre rhythmic approaches and electronic flourishes.  Otis Brown III‘s debut are all of those things, but they are only elements to something much more individualistic.  It’s not uncommon for jazz musicians to borrow from old and new, but it is rare for it to lead to something greater than those individual influences, of an algebra where past+present=one step ahead into the future.  The Thought of You is a singular expression, a statement of vision that recognizes the roots of the music without allowing it to define where that music ultimately ends up.  It’s why the electronics and sampling sounds right at home with the straight-ahead bop and the modern infusions of post-bop and gospel and blues.  And putting all those considerations to the side, what matters most is that this album is full of warmth and genial energy and very easy to embrace… even as it crafts something very new from the materials of past and present.

Released on Blue Note Records and Revive Music.

Read more at Bird is the Worm (LINK).

*****

25.  Hans Lüdemann Trio Ivoire – Timbuktu

Hans Ludemann Trio Ivoire - "Timbuktu"There’s something intriguingly straight-ahead about Hans Lüdemann‘s trio of piano, balaphon and percussion.  He doesn’t attempt to blend European Jazz and West African folk; he’s just seeking out the points of connectivity and launching off from that point… like a chef that doesn’t necessarily have a finished meal in mind as he carefully picks the ingredients that stoke his creativity.  The communication between piano, drums, and balaphon is remarkably unhindered, as if these instruments had been collaborating as a jazz trio for decades.  It’s inspired music, and that he’s able to synthesize it down to relatively straight-forward, seemingly simple tunes is a hell of an accomplishment.  It’s an album capable of creating an environment conducive to just kicking back and drifting off.  It’s an album capable of engaging the listener in a cerebral exercise.  Heart and head are both targets for this lovely, charming album.

Released on Intuition Music.

Read more at Bird is the Worm (LINK).

*****

26. Matt Wilson Quartet + John Medeski – Gathering Call

Matt Wilson - "Gathering Call"This album is all heart.  It swings and it’s best friends with the blues.  Every melody has a personality and the rhythm is an engaging conversation each time one is struck up.  This is the kind of thing Matt Wilson has a history of doing.  He doesn’t swing because it’s on a list of procedures for writing a jazz song or because it just seems like the thing to do… you can hear and feel his enthusiasm with each song.  His crack line-up is comprised of musicians (Jeff Lederer, Kirk Knuffke and Chris Lightcap) who have a track record of deconstructing the old into something new, and Wilson gives them some space to do just that, at times, while still sticking to a straight-ahead jazz path.  John Medeski sits in on this session, and the enthusiasm he brings to his own MM&W project is a perfect fit for Wilson’s positive attitude.  How do you not smile just listening to this music?  If someone ever says they don’t make jazz today like they used to, point them in this direction.

Released on Palmetto Records.

Read more on Bird is the Worm (LINK).

*****

27. Tineke Postma & Greg Osby – Sonic Halo

Greg Osby and Tineke Postma - "Sonic Halo"The duo saxophone attack of Tineke Postma and Greg Osby is captivating in any number of ways.  There’s the weaving of melodic fragments into an offshoot of even more beauty.  There’s the dialog between saxophone voices that celebrates the similarities and the differences with equal enthusiasm.  And then, perhaps, there’s the directional patterns and shape of the motion that is most captivating.  A quintet session that features an excellent line-up of bassist Linda Oh, drummer Dan Weiss and pianist Matt Mitchell, and the way they are able to express their individuality and remain essential parts of the group dynamic is no small reason for the album’s success.  Tunes are put into play and the activity and motion resulting from how each musician helps guide the song from first note to last results in an album that is seriously compelling.

Released on Challenge Records.

Read more on Bird is the Worm (LINK).

*****

28. Orrin Evans’ Captain Black Big Band – Mother’s Touch

Orrin Evans - "Mother's Touch"There is a “Kind of Blue” perfection to this album that’s not immediately evident.  I’m not claiming that Mother’s Touch is one of the all-time great jazz recordings, but Orrin Evans’ Captain Black Big Band makes all the profound complexities and statements, both nuanced and glaring, seem almost effortless.  That’s indicative of a certain mastery of the craft, and it’s why it might be easy to overlook the accomplishment that Mother’s Touch truly is.  There are some flirtations with different influences here, but mostly it’s clear sailing straight ahead… the kind of jazz that is just as likely to appeal to new-school fans as it will old-schoolers.

Released on Posi-Tone Records.

Read more on Bird is the Worm (LINK).

*****

29. Joris Roelofs – Aliens Deliberating

Joris Roelofs - "Aliens Deliberating"What is best about this album is how every motion from this trio is an awkward one, even when they swing, and yet they remain so crazily tuneful as to deny that they were ever awkward in the first place.  There’s the sense that, at any moment, any one of these musicians (Joris Roelofs on bass clarinet, Ted Poor on drums and Matt Penman on bass) could suddenly peel off and careen wildly into the paths of the others, and yet they all stick to some vague flight pattern, which is mesmerizing to see develop in its way.  Besides, it’s great to hear another example of bass clarinet’s range.  Too often it’s used, either, as the soulful voice in a melodic soup or the lighter-fluid for a free jazz conflagration.  On Aliens Deliberating, it’s about a song voice, a storyteller’s disposition, and a melody that is given no less care by bass clarinet than that of a more traditional wind instrument.  And most of all, this album is about creating seriously compelling music that is strange, unconventional and positively alluring.

Released on Pirouet Records.

Read more on Bird is the Worm (LINK).

*****

30. Brigaden – Om Alberto och Några Andra Gubbar

Brigaden - "Om Alberto Och Nagra Andra Gubbar"An album with a huge heart.  All of Brigaden‘s expressions are Big, even when the quintet (plus a bunch of guests) pours out a love song.  The Swedish folk influence is strong, and there’s a pop music sensibility to the music that is terrifically arresting.  The Spanish influence plays more than just a supporting role, and it’s a wrinkle that adds to this album’s already distinct personality.  The album’s boisterous enthusiasm and unguarded earnestness are the qualities that get this album a Best of 2014 slot, but that the music is innately tuneful is the clincher.

Released on Havtorn Records.

Read more on Bird is the Worm (LINK).

*****

But truly, the Best of 2014 list will never end.

Cheers.

By • • 0

Oct 4 2014

The recent catalog changes at eMusic

 

So, I’m receiving a bunch of emails asking about the recent changes at eMusic.  Rather than answer all of these emails individually, I’ll post something for today’s column.  I figure there’s more than that out there with questions.

I’ve embedded audio from some of my favorite 2014 releases throughout the column to entertain you as you read.

This first one is by Roberto Negro, from the album Loving Suite Pour Bird So…

 

To begin, here’s the message that went out to all eMusic subscribers:

Dear Member,

Since its inception, eMusic has been committed to serving serious music collectors who are unbound by genre or the latest trend. We built the business in 1998 on DRM-free mp3s and a heartfelt mission to provide independent music enthusiasts with the best music, editorial content and album reviews around. Over the years, the eMusic brand became synonymous with independent music.

When we introduced a vastly expanded library of music in 2009, the experience on the site changed. Our catalog became more a reflection of mainstream trends than a true discovery experience rooted in music from emerging artists and labels. We moved away from our core values as a business and diluted what made the eMusic experience special.

So, in an effort to dedicate the brand once again to its original mission, eMusic is renewing its commitment to independent music and to promoting its musicians, bands and labels. As a result, beginning today, we will be exiting the mainstream music business and offering exclusively independent music. Further, in the coming weeks and months, it is our aim to build upon our existing library and provide you with the most extensive catalog of independent music in the world.

There will be no change to your plan, and we will not be making any changes to our album or track prices.

Our goal has always been to provide music enthusiasts and tastemakers with the best music and discovery experience possible, thanks to our industry-leading editorial content and reviews. With these changes, we are crystal clear on what we can and want to offer: a world-class discovery service built around the most comprehensive catalog of independent music.

We truly value your membership, and are committed to providing you with the best experience possible. Thank you for supporting us, and for supporting independent music.

The eMusic Team

 

Unfortunately, I don’t have any good answers to the most common question of “Why did they do it?”  Keep in mind, I’m just a freelance writer for eMusic/Wondering Sound.  I don’t actually live in New York.  Hell, I’ve never been anywhere close to the eMusic offices.  And other than two phone conversations with the Editor-in-Chief, J. Edward Keyes (the first one when he hired me to write the Jazz Picks column and then a second time when eMusic was spinning off editorial content to Wondering Sound), I’m not privy to what’s what around there.  Which, really, is as it should be.

Thus, I learned about the changes at the same time as everyone else.

Now, about the reason for those changes… I have a few ideas why it happened, and I’ve seen a couple people on various forums mirror those ideas with posts of their own.  My best guess is that the people who run things at the financial, executive and content/editorial levels, all sat down and re-evaluated their current vision of the company, how that compared and contrasted to their actual position/identity and what it would mean to bridge that gap.  To continue the exposition of my guess, the question posed to that group was “Who are we?”

It’s a question worth asking every now and then, no matter what your business is.  And considering how many changes have occurred at eMusic and the music retail industry since they first opened shop back in the 1998 (1998!), it’s especially wise for them to do it more frequently.  Did this conversation happen on its own or was it triggered by a financial and/or contractual situation, again, I don’t know.  Remember, I might be striking out on all my assumptions here.  And, ultimately, the reason for it doesn’t matter in the end.  eMusic decided its new vision is, in fact, an older vision, and in my humble opinion, it’s the correct one.

eMusic isn’t ever going to be Amazon or iTunes, but it can definitely make its mark at the CDBaby/Bandcamp level… retailers who have found ways to carve out niches and become profitable and established.  There’s no reason that eMusic can’t thrive if it finds its own niche, its own identity and sticks to that vision.

And the Indie thing is what it does best.  What does Indie mean?  Well, much like the descriptor “Alternative,” which began simply as something other than mainstream but then became its own genre over time, Indie has followed a similar path… What began mostly as a descriptor of DIY recording, production and retailing, it’s taken on its own identity as a genre.  Unfortunately, I can’t really encapsulate what Indie as a genre means, really, because I’ve become so immersed in modern jazz that I’ve really fallen out of touch with all other musics.  I mean, seriously, when I try to reference a non-jazz genre, I either throw out a 90’s-era grunge band or an early 2000s pop rock act.  It’s sad, really, but that’s where we’re at.

(Music by Hans Feigenwinter ZINC, from Whim of Fate)

But, if cornered, I’d say eMusic focusing on Indie means emerging bands who aren’t on a major label, don’t have a big distribution channel, tour like a motherfucker to try to sell some CDs and build up a grassroots audience, and probably the only place to hear them on the air is the local college radio station.

It makes sense, really.  I mean, a lot of these bands (or their forbears) were some of eMusic’s early catalog, and when it comes to content on Wondering Sound (and, before that, 17 Dots), these are the kinds of acts they cover.  J.Edward Keyes goes to a ridiculous amount of live shows.  Follow him on Twitter, and you’ll see what I mean.  The amount of time he spends at live shows is the equivalent of how much time I spend going through the new jazz listings (aka a fuckload of time).  So, yeah, a focus on Indie makes sense to me.

But what does that mean to the Jazz section?  That’s where things get more complicated.

It’s arguable that about 90% (or more) of Jazz could be considered Indie, either in spirit or the reality of its operations.  What it means, though, in terms of eMusic, is that if a label or artist is under contract to a major label who has a contract with a major distribution company, then they’re dropping off eMusic.

So, who’s gone and who’s staying around?

I went through my various lists as well as the drop-down menu on my own site and then searched through eMusic to see which labels are still around and which are gone as a result of the recent catalog changes.  I broke them down into three categories:  Off the Board, Dude You’ve Got a Hole in Your Catalog, and Alive & Kicking.

Here’s what I found.

(Note:  In some instances, I added a little note describing some characteristic about the label.  I decided to do it at the last minute, and only if I could think of something immediate to say.  Nothing there should be taken as a definitive statement or gospel; only talking in generalizations, and sometimes my memory sucks)

Off the board:

  • Blue Note Records
  • Impulse Records
  • Columbia
  • Fantasy/Prestige/Riverside
  • Verve
  • Atlantic
  • Okeh
  • ECM
  • Savoy Jazz
  • Concord/Fantasy
  • For-Tune Records
  • Nonesuch
  • Steeplechase

Some thoughts on the above:

It sucks losing Blue Note for two reasons big reasons.  One, obviously, their catalog of classic jazz recordings is immense and essential (same to be said for most of the others on that list), but just as importantly, their recent re-boot under Don Was has made them a seriously relevant label once again, releasing new music from cutting edge modern jazz artists.  That’s a loss.

Impulse and Okeh have also recently re-booted operations with an attempt at the modern jazz market.  Impulse has only released two albums so far: a nifty re-working of New Orleans traditional from Bernstein & Butler and an old live session from Jim Hall & Charlie Haden.  Still too early to determine whether losing modern Impulse is truly a loss or not.  As far as I’m concerned, losing modern Okeh is no big deal.  They’ve drawn some very big names to their label, both established and a few emerging artists, but the recordings, typically, have been uninspired and even sloppy in some cases.  And their whole approach to the entire process, from artist choice to album production to retailing/marketing is so, I dunno, OLD.  It’s like they said, hey, we’re gonna take a new shot at this by doing all the same stuff that got us in the tank in the first place.  But that’s just what I think.  However, losing Okeh means eMusic won’t be getting the new Bill Frisell album, Guitar in the Space Age!  I’ve already given it a few spins, and I’m pretty underwhelmed.  That reflects much of how I feel about Okeh since they re-started operations.

But on the subject of Bill Frisell, losing the Nonesuch and Savoy Jazz and ECM means pretty much he’s off the site.  He’s got a couple albums still on the board, but one of the most inventive musicians of any generation and genre is gone.

For-Tune is a great avant-garde/free improv label out of Poland. Their absence might not have anything to do with the recent eMusic changes.  I know some of their stuff has dropped off Amazon, too.  They might return, assuming they’re still up and running as a label.  Steeplechase may or may not be gone.  Hard to tell with them.

Along with Blue Note Records and the Bill Frisell catalog, the other big loss is ECM Records.  Another label with a unique back catalog and modern release discography, their mix of Nordic Jazz serenity and American jazz introspection is a compelling segment of the modern jazz landscape.  And while 2014 has been an off-year for them, they’ve been showing some signs of life lately.  The new Marcin Wasilewski recording is pretty wonderful, and, unfortunately, eMusic won’t be getting it.  It’s a shame that it’s no longer on eMusic.  At the same time, I’ve long felt that it’s better to pick up most ECM Records releases on CD or lossless digital formats.  But it was probably nice for a bunch of you to be able to really dig into ECMs extensive catalog at a cheaper price.

So, in summary, lots of back catalog of classic jazz albums are gone, which is unfortunate, but as far as a focus on the jazz of the present day, only the loss of Blue Note, ECM and (perhaps) For-Tune are of any significance.

(Music by Cordame & Francois Bourassa, from the album Rêve éveillé)

 

Dude, You’ve Got a Hole in Your Catalog:

  • HighNote
  • Savant
  • Zoho
  • Igloo Records

It’s possible that this category is larger than four labels.  It’s difficult to tell.  What we know is that some albums by the above labels are on eMusic, but it appears that others are not.  For instance, recent Jazz Pick, Barbara Morrison’s “I Love You, Yes I Do” is no longer on eMusic, but other recent Savant releases are.  Part of this is probably because all of the three labels above seem to have had multiple label/distributor designations across their catalogs.  I’m not sure exactly how this happens, but it’s not unique to just those four labels.  I remember not long ago that Motema was also spread messily across eMusic, as, I believe, was Sunnyside Records for a time.  There were several European labels that had a similar problem, but a recent distributor shake-up led to a lot of cleaning up of those issues by the European labels, which created a lot of conformity for each of their catalogs.

At this point, I’m not sure if the recent changes at eMusic caused the holes in the catalogs of the above labels or what.  I also don’t know if the albums no longer on eMusic will be returning.  I also don’t know if new albums by these labels will be retailing on eMusic.  I’ll definitely be checking in, though, to see if anything happens.  I would posit that if a new release by the above labels appears on eMusic anytime soon, that it bodes well for back catalog holes getting filled.

Also, I only spot-checked the various labels that appear in this column.  It’s possible that there are other labels that are missing albums in their eMusic catalog and I just didn’t notice them gone.

 

Alive & Kicking:

It appears to be business as usual for the following labels, post-eMusic changes.

  • ACT Music
  • Alfa Music
  • Anzic
  • Armored Records
  • Asthmatic Kitty
  • Auand
  • Aum Fidelity
  • Basho (UK scene)
  • Bee Jazz
  • Babel (UK scene)
  • Brooklyn Jazz Underground Records
  • CamJazz
  • Camoci
  • Challenge Records
  • Clean Feed
  • Constellation
  • Criss Cross
  • Cryptogrammphone
  • Cuneiform
  • Dazzle Jazz (covers the Denver/Colorado scene)
  • Delmark (covers the Chicago scene)
  • Dodicilune (folk-jazz from Italy and nearby)
  • Double Moon
  • Edition Records (UK scene)
  • El Gallo Rojo
  • ESP-Disk (old school free jazz)
  • Eyes & Ears
  • F-IRE Recordings
  • Firehouse 12
  • Fresh Sound New Talent
  • Gondwana Records
  • Greenleaf
  • Havtorn
  • Headspin Recordings
  • Helsinki Jazz Undergound
  • Hipnotic (Baltimore scene, IIRC)
  • Hoob (Swedish jazz)
  • Hubro (Nordic jazz on the fringes, beyond jazz)
  • ILK Music (experimental, Danish scene)
  • Inner Cicle
  • Intakt Records
  • Jazz ‘n Arts
  • Jazz Village
  • Jazzhead (Australian scene)
  • Jazzman Records
  • JazzThing
  • Jazzwerkstatt (good modern live sets, non-mainstream modern)
  • Listen Closely (Austrian label, improv on fringes & jazz center)
  • Loop Collective (nothing normal here, cool stuff)
  • Loyal Label
  • Mack Avenue (straight-ahead, but with some nifty divergences)
  • Marsalis Music
  • MaxJazz (straight-ahead)
  • Mons Records
  • Motema
  • Naim (indie-jazz)
  • Naive
  • NorCD (peaceful Nordic jazz)
  • Northern Spy
  • NotTwo (Vandermark and related)
  • O.A.P.
  • Orenda
  • Origin Records (including OA2 and Origin Arts)
  • OutNow
  • Palmetto
  • Pirouet
  • PJCE (Portland scene)
  • Plus Loin
  • Posi-Tone (as straight-ahead modern as it gets)
  • Primary Records
  • Rare Noise Records
  • Royal Potato
  • Rune Grammofone
  • Smoke Sessions
  • Songlines
  • Stunt Records
  • Sunnyside
  • Table & Chairs (Pacific Northwest scene)
  • Thirsty Ear (Matthew Shipp and the like)
  • Traumton
  • TOAP
  • Unit Records
  • Whirlwind
  • Winter & Winter
  • 1908 Records
  • 482 Music

And, obviously, all the Self-Produced albums that don’t have an actual label associated with them.  There’s also plenty of other labels out there that are on eMusic and that I didn’t include in the list above.  All I did was go through my own lists and pick out those that received multiple references in my notes and columns and on my site.  If I missed anyone significant, please leave a comment below and I’ll look into it.  I probably did leave someone off.  In fact, I’m certain of it.

(Music by Angles 9, from the album Injuries)

 

Anyone coming back?

That’s a good question.  I’d love to see both Tzadik label and PI Recordings get back into the mix.  Both were on eMusic at one point.  Tzadik left before I ever became an eMusic member (and much earlier than I began writing for them).  Pi was on more recently, and perhaps left around the time that the majors hopped onto eMusic.  It’d be great to get both of those labels back on board.  Neither Tzadik nor Pi put out anything that isn’t exciting in its way.  I’d be curious to hear what other labels readers would like to see come back into the eMusic fold.  It’s be nice to see HatHut, too.

Okay, I think that’s all I got on this subject.  If I think of something else, I’ll just add it later.

Cheers.

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