Jan 25 2013
Dave Jackson Quartet “Cosmontology” & Herskedal/Neset “Neck of the Woods”
Dave Jackson Quartet – Cosmontology
No matter how religiously I scan the various outlets for new Jazz releases each week, there’s always gonna be a few solid recordings that slip past unseen and just fall into my lap outta pure dumb luck. Such is the case with saxophonist Dave Jackson, who sent in an unsolicited submission to my queue at the AllAboutJazz download of the day feature. When I was the dotd editor, I’d get plenty of unsolicited material, but much of it wasn’t up to snuff, and with so few slots actually open for unsolicited material, it usually had to be something special. Dave Jackson’s Cosmontology was one such example.
This is music that doesn’t do any one thing great or possess a unique trait that differentiates itself from the pack. Jackson’s quartet does everything well, and most importantly, they do it well together, and as Jazz has illustrated over and over, one of its admirable characteristics is the quality of the interplay between group members and how it makes many individual things done well result in something far greater. This album represents that characteristic, and it’s emblematic of the depth of the Jazz landscape today.
This is a modern jazz album, but the kind that definitely will find appeal to fans of the Hard Bop era. These are tunes that know how to serve up a melody as the main course, then cast out lines throughout the song so that the melody lingers long after the quartet has developed it into something quite different. These are tunes that offer up a rhythm that smokes, but coolly go about their business so that it all seems to go down nice and casual. These are tunes that have two feet in the present, but can draw their lineage in direct thick lines to the past. And, best of all, these are tunes that are so easy to enjoy, even when the music isn’t simple. A sense of the effortless, from a quartet that plays seamlessly as one. Solid.
Your album personnel: Dave Jackson (alto sax), Greg Hutchinson (drums), Orlando Le Fleming (bass), and Sean Wayland (piano).
The album is Self-Produced.
Jazz from the Sydney, Australia scene.
Download a free album track at AllAboutJazz, courtesy of the artist.
Available at Amazon: MP3
Daniel Herskedal & Marius Neset – Neck of the Woods
Duo album between tuba player Daniel Herskedal and saxophonist Marius Neset. Yes, it does sound like a premise for a jazz joke about walking into a bar, but this isn’t a whimsical affair. Serene music that often takes to soaring, this is one for the quieter moments of the day. A vague mix of Jazz, Classical, and Folk, with elements of each negating any definitive trait from taking over at any one time. The duo has created their own little sound, and it’s pretty intoxicating in its way. The interplay between the two is a delightful pantomime, but it’s when they break out the harmonies that this album comes into its fullest.
I had actually assume this recording would get used as part of my Something Different review series, but for all of its unconventional traits, this album is relatively straight forward, as far as these things go. Good stuff.
Your album personnel: Daniel Herskedal (tuba) and Marius Neset (saxophones), plus a choir on three of the album tracks.
Released on the Edition Records label.
Jazz from Norway.
Download a free album track, courtesy of the artists and label, by hitting the button on the player above (the one that looks like a downward pointing arrow).
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Jan 26 2013
Something Different: Testoni/Alesini/Di Loreto – “Pollock Project”
A mix of regional Jazz influences that incorporate Mediterranean and Nordic sounds, this strangely alluring album has an appeal that is quite unique.
Your album personnel: Marco Testoni (caisa drums, percussion, electronics), Nicola Alesini (soprano sax, Italian folk clarinet, electronics), and Max Di Loreto (drums, percussion).
Front and center is the use of caisa drums, a member of the family of steel drums. They have a hypnotic effect that’s tough not to fall for. Portico Quartet gets some of that action with the use of hang drums, and Manu Delago does, too, like on his Living Rooms In London project. Testoni unleashes that drum’s enchanting mix of haunting warmth for tremendous and gratifying results. The first time it sincerely speaks up is on second track “Songlian,” and thus shifts expectations from an electronica & percussion heavy album to something more tranquil
But along with the Mediterranean sound, the Nordic sound is represented, mostly via Alesini’s soprano sax, which evokes echoes of Jan Garbarek’s stylings. Third and fourth tracks “Rivoli 59” and “Una rosa mas o menos” both settle into a nice and easy stroll with drums digging into a groove, caisa drum bringing a strong melodic element to the music while remaining a percussion force, and sax chiming in with wailing and punctuated statements via interplay with hang drum. Quite pretty.
Di Loreto’s percussion finds two ways to expressive itself. On a track like “Chestnut C Circle,” a tune that is more atmospheric, Di Loreto’s stick work stays light, and taps a chatter that rises to the surface as eddies and curls, and acts as the binding agent between sax and caisa. Conversely, his drums become much more audible and talkative on opening track “Unnecessary,” taking on a tribal aspect, and matching against samples of voice speaking.
There’s various use of electronics and sampling and effects. Aside from the heavy use on the opening track, it takes a back seat to the traditional instruments for most of the remainder of the album. Their use is neither intrusive, nor bashful.
The album ends with a rendition of Miles Davis’s “In A Silent Way.” They tailor the composition to fit their trio structure deftly, and bring out a facet of the original that is simply beautiful. The caisa drum fits right in with the original’s serenity, and box sax and drum capture its magical presence to a tee. Just a lovely way to end this nifty, unusual recording.
Released on the Tre Lune Records label.
Jazz from the Rome, Italy scene.
As best as I can tell, the only place to purchase this album is from the label.
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By davesumner • Jazz Recommendations, Jazz Recommendations - 2012 Releases • 0 • Tags: Something Different