Monthly Archives: January 2015

Jan 11 2015

These are videos that I like: Chris Dingman – “Clear the Rain”

 

chrisdingman_wakingdreamsToday’s featured video is from vibraphonist Chris Dingman, live at the Firehouse 12, performing the song “Clear the Rain” from his 2012 release Waking Dreams.

This performance occurred back in 2010.  Apparently Dingman has been performing new pieces live, and the word is that there might be a new album forthcoming in 2015.  If true, that’s great news.  His previous album, Waking Dreams, was one of 2011’s best.  Read more on this site (LINK).

Your video personnel:  Chris Dingman (vibraphone), Loren Stillman (alto sax), Fabian Almazan (piano), Aidan Carroll (bass) and Eric McPherson (drums).

 

And don’t forget to check out more of the music he’s contributed to.  There’s eight different mentions of him on Bird is the Worm, and probably a few more from my eMusic/Wondering Sound Jazz Picks column that just didn’t get written up here.  Dingman will lead you to some great music.

Have a great day!

Cheers.

By • These are videos that I like • 0

Jan 10 2015

Recommended: James Davis’ Beveled – “Beveled”

 

James Davis - "Beveled"What makes Beveled a winning album is the way in which the James Davis’ Beveled ensemble shifts between introspective passages of thick harmonies and lively, extroverted sections where the soloists carry on one interesting monologue after the other.  Comprised of two flugelhorns, two bass clarinets, and a drum and bass duo, it’s an arrangement that favors tone over texture, density over diversity.  The sextet primarily exist in one of the two states of solemn contemplation and brisk animation, and there’s a comforting predictability to it, and it lends well to those arresting transitory moments between the two states.

The two-part “Inward Gaze” is the immediate example of how well Davis maps out this plan of action.  Even as the ensemble switches between a hymn and a holler, they maintain a warmth and grace whose origins could be traced to either church or concert hall.  Back-to-back tracks “Beveled” and “Flou” are a pairing of the enveloping comfort of shadows and the joyful dancing of sunlight beams.  And the pair of tracks “Chimes” and “Impending Doom” show how the ensemble can toy with tempo in this format while sticking to basic formula of driving in only two gears.

Some seriously gorgeous moments on this album, and a thoughtfulness to the presentation that really adds to the level of engagement.

Your album personnel:  James Davis (flugelhorn), Chad McCullough (flugelhorn), Michael Salter (bass clarinet), Anna Najoom (bass clarinet), Daniel Thatcher (double bass) and Juan Pastor (drums).

Released on Ears & Eyes Records.

Jazz from the Chicago scene.

Available at:  eMusic | Bandcamp | Amazon MP3

 

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

Jan 9 2015

Recommended: Anouar Brahem – “Souvenance”

Anouar Brahem - "Souvenance"

Oudist Anouar Brahem has consistently recorded some of the most mesmerizing music for the ECM Records label.  Early in his ECM recording career, it was pieces that situated themselves primarily in the folk music category.  Some improvisation of a jazz(ish) nature would get thrown into the mix, especially if saxophonists John Surman or Jan Garbarek sat in on a session.  But mostly it was charming folk tunes that cast a heavy, captivating spell with bouts of liveliness eclipsed by contemplative passages.

Things really got mesmerizing with his 2002 release Le Pas du Chat Noir and 2006’s Le Voyage de Sahar.  For those recordings, Brahem switched to a trio format of himself, pianist Franҫois Couturier and accordionist Jean Louis Matinier.  This was the real deal.  Courturier brought a serious elegance to the affair on piano and Matinier’s accordion offered up a thick, wavering drone.  These two qualities both meshed with and contrasted against the patient, charming tones from Brahem’s oud.  It was the perfect mix of contemplative and extroverted.  The effect was almost hypnotic.

It’s been a handful of years since he released the gawkily titled, The Astounding Eyes of Rita.  That album got him back to a more talkative demeanor.  It was one of his more bustling works since the early days.  For those who had grown enthralled with the chamber-folk sound of his previous two recordings, it was something of a letdown, despite being an enjoyable recording.

Brahem’s 2015 release, Souvenance gets back to the chamber-folk hypnotics, but in a new, exciting way.  Apparently inspired by the political and social upheaval in his native Tunisia, Souvenance is supremely captivating.  Francois Couturier returns on piano, Klaus Gesing joins in on bass clarinet and Bjorn Meyer adds his bass, but it’s the addition of the Orchestra delia Svizzera Italiana that’s the real reason for excitement.  Effectively, it takes on the role of the accordion drone, and because of its bigger presence and detailed sound, it delivers a seriously evocative punch.

But Brahem doesn’t overdo it with the orchestra.  For the most part, the contribution by the orchestra is both sparing and tasteful.  This is especially fortuitous in that it allows smaller interactions to take center stage and receive the greatest attention.  There is the amicable chatter of oud crossing paths with the deep resonance of clarinet and there’s the meditative pulse of piano locking in step with the lively patter of percussion and there are the melodic bursts from piano matched with the drifting flutters of clarinet, and surrounding it all like an enveloping mist is the striking warmth of orchestral accompaniment.

In many ways, this is a big departure for Brahem from past recordings.  The sound is something new.  But as far as the music’s captivating presence and arresting, almost trance-like demeanor, this is, in fact, a return to what made past Brahem recordings resonate so powerfully, and it’s why Souvenance is a winning album.

Your album personnel:  Anouar Brahem (oud), Franҫois Couturier (piano), Klaus Gesing (bass clarinet), Björn Meyer (bass) and the Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana, conducted by Pietro Mianiti.

Released on ECM Records.

Music from the Tunisia scene.

Available (on 2/24/15) at:  Amazon CD

Stream an album track at the ECM Records site.

Here’s an official making-of-the-album video type of thing.  It scoops up most of the album track, “January,” though it was somebody’s harebrained idea to interrupt the absolutely gorgeous music with conversation and whispering.  Whatever.  Still worth checking out.

By • Beyond Jazz Reviews, Jazz Recommendations, Jazz Recommendations - 2015 Releases • 0

Jan 8 2015

These are videos that I like: Lucas Pino Quartet – “Look Into My Eyes”

 

Today’s featured video is from the Lucas Pino Quartet performing the song “Look Into My Eyes.”

Likable song.  Apparently it’s shot at Pino’s home, which goes a long way to proving that you can put together a solid video without having to rent out a venue or go into high production values and effects.  Nice spacing between musicians but all packed into a single frame, a strand of holiday lights, some soft colors on the walls in a room with a little bit of character… and there you go.

Pretty cool how the police sirens bleed into the audio right at the end of the song.  While normally that would be an intrusion, sometimes, as in this case, it actually makes the song even more evocative… a feeling of “in the moment.”  I recall a similar thing happening with Gordon Grdina’s East Van Strings video for their song “Selma.”

Anyways, here’s that video…

Your videos personnel:  Lucas Pino (tenor sax), Colin Stranahan (drums), Glenn Zaleski (piano) and Rick Rosato (bass).

 

Pino is a member of the Jeremy Siskind Trio, whose release Finger-Songwriter was the #5 2012 Bird is the Worm album of the year.

Have a great day!

Cheers.

By • These are videos that I like • 0

Jan 7 2015

Recommended: Ole Jorn Myklebust – “Jorba”

 

Ole Jorn Myklebust - "Jorba"Jorba is the by-product of trumpeter Ole Jørn Myklebust‘s self-reflection on the creative path traveled thus far.  Comprised almost exclusively of compositions originating from various stages of his music career, his 2013 release is an exercise in contemplation, colored with streaks of celebration and melancholia.  Joined by pianist Andreas Ulvo and bassist Sigurd Hole (two thirds of the equally contemplative Eple Trio), Myklebust focuses on calm expressions of melody and thoughtful harmonic development.

“Theme for Namgar” is thick as mist and moves with the same mysterious patience.  “La Chapelle,” on the other hand, deviates from this formula with passages of bubbling activity and a simmering tension.

The sleepy “Jaures” takes time and care expressing the melody.  It is a pop song transformed into the sweetness of a lullaby.  Myklebust lays down the thick blanket of melody and Ulvo’s piano solo has a certain liveliness for contemplative music, but it’s the deep hum of Hole’s double bass that incites the state of dreaming.

“Mind Your Step” switches between a pulsing tempo and glittering melodic glides, whereas title-track “Jorba” alternates between a quaint ambling tempo and one that scurries quickly along.  Myklebust adds some vocals to the latter track, further accentuating the harmonic element that hangs over every song, no matter how subtle its presence.

The album ends with the sole track that isn’t a Myklebust original.  The trio applies an intriguing Nordic jazz interpretation to Spanish composer Joaquín Rodrigo’s classic “Concierto de Aranjuez,” a composition meant for guitar and orchestra.  By focusing on the melody and adapting through motion, the trio manages to capture a vital aspect of the original.  It also goes a long way to illustrating that the economy of sound displayed on this peaceful recording is built on a foundation of thoughtful planning and craftsmanship.

Your album personnel:  Ole Jørn Myklebust (trumpet, voice), Andreas Ulvo (grand piano) and Sigurd Hole (double bass).

Released in 2013 on Finito Bacalao Records.

Jazz from the Tromsø, Norway scene.

Available at:  eMusic | Amazon MP3

 

By • Jazz Recommendations, Jazz Recommendations - 2013 Releases • 0

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