Mar 20 2015
Recommended: Emanative – The Light Years of the Darkness
There’s an excellent new album out from Emanative (an alias for drummer percussionist and producer Nick Woodmansey). The Light Years of the Darkness is full-on spiritual jazz, giving modern spins of old tunes expressed in a way that honors both the original renditions and the artists who penned them. Woodmansey scoops up a nice assortment of musicians from the UK scene to help his vision along.
The album opens with a rendition of Alice Coltrane’s “Om Supreme.” The wavering serenity constructed by the ensemble is a wonderful lead in to their rendition of Pharoah Sanders’ “Hum-Allah,” which dials down on the original’s intensity but holds nothing back on the spiritual infusion. This, too, sets the table nicely for the easy-going groove of Don Cherry’s “Makondi.” Catchy as all hell, it features Four Tet on thumb piano.
Tamar Osborn’s Collocutor has been raved about previously on this site (and is a former Pick of the Week from my old Wondering Sound column). Here she guests on a rendition of Joe Henderson’s “Fire.” A joyful sing-song melody winds about the dense rolling hills of the rhythm unit. It’s a similar disposition expressed by the ensemble on their rendition of Arthur Blythe’s “As of Yet.”
Two takes on Sun Ra’s “Love In Outer Space” yield some enjoyable variations. The alternate take is a space-station jingle that digs into a thick groove. The other rendition bounces happily along, a buoyancy that is revealed by the way the ensemble jumps up to scratch at the surface of clouds as well as how it returns to earth by slamming its feet back down with authority. They also take a spin on Sun Ra’s “Rocket Number Nine,” which opens with random dispersal before suddenly coalescing into a focused stream of thought, growing increasingly determined and intense before a peaceful outro.
The album ends with “Music is the Healing Force of the Universe.” Emanative’s dance hall version diverges from Albert Ayler’s vision of the song, and yet, in some ways quite essential, the distance between the two is not as great a chasm as might seem at first blush. The same can be said about the song’s relationship to the rest of the album. It’s an intriguing way to close the show… a different way of expressing the joyful spirituality embodied by the album in its entirety.
Go buy this album.
Also, all proceeds of the album go to the Steve Reid Foundation. The Foundation has a dual purpose, helping with music education initiatives as well as providing aid to musicians who are in crisis.
Your album personnel: Nick Woodmansey (aka Emanative), Kieren Hebden (aka Four Tet), Ben Hadwen, Jessica Lauren, Tamar Osborn, Phillip Harper, Liz Elensky, Nick Haward, Jason Simpson, Tello Morgado, Ahmed Abdullah, Monique Ngozi Nri, Idris Ackamoor, Kenneth Nash, Ben Page, Tom Page, Wayne Francis, Ahmad Dayes, Yussef Dayes, Kareem Dayes, Mally Harpaz, Andre Espeut, Suman Joshi, Simon Finch, Maurizio Ravalico, Marco Piccioni, Olie Brice, Kevin G Davy, Finn Peters, Gemma Williams, Rob Gallagher and Valerie Etienne.
Released on Brownswood Recordings.
Jazz from the UK.
Available at: Bandcamp | eMusic | Amazon
Mar 21 2015
This Is Jazz Today: Jakob Bro, Anat Cohen, Giovanni Francesca & more!
This was a busy week. I finally just had to call it quits, but I’m shaking my head and looking at the albums that I didn’t have time to include in this week’s column. I might have to do a Part B addendum at some point.
But let’s talk about the albums that are included in this week’s This Is Jazz Today recommendations column. There’s a very nice mix of sounds this week, really representing the depth and diversity of the modern scene. One of those weeks where there really is something for everyone.
Let’s begin…
*** Pick of the Week ***
Jakob Bro – Gefion
A gorgeous new album from guitarist Jakob Bro, who has repeatedly shown a talent for bringing a melodic liveliness to serene music. His newest features his strangely alluring mix of jazz and folk and ambient soundscapes. And though it possesses the ingredients that typically complete your basic Nordic Jazz recording, Bro’s expressionism doesn’t fit so neatly into that general category. Even when he’s being structurally obtuse, his music possesses a form and presence and melodic incisiveness that proves elusive to categorization. His newest has him in a trio formation, joined by bassist Thomas Morgan and drummer Jon Christensen. Just too beautiful.
Released on ECM Records. Visit the artist site.
Read about other Bro albums | Buy: Amazon
*****
*** This week’s featured albums ***
Anat Cohen – Luminosa (Anzic)
Each new recording by Cohen just further impresses how much feeling she’s able to generate from her clarinet. Her newest focuses on Brazilian music, but some adventurous takes on music from other parts of the world, too. I’ll be writing more about this excellent album in the coming weeks, but, seriously, don’t bother waiting… just go buy this album now.
Artist site | Listen | Buy: eMusic – Bandcamp – Amazon
*****
Giovanni Francesca – Rame (Auand)
Stunningly beautiful album from guitarist Francesca’s quintet. His sound, with its effects and an instrumentation that includes both violin and trombone is strongly reminiscent of Bill Frisell’s Nonesuch years. Sweetness and fire, both, on this one. Expect to read more in the coming weeks on this site.
Artist site | Listen | Buy: eMusic – Bandcamp – Amazon
*****
Pascal Schumacher – Left Tokyo Right (Laborie)
Resonant new release from vibraphonist Schumacher. The whole quartet shines, but especially so in the pairing of Schumacher and pianist Franz von Chossy. Melodies as deep as the sea and just as enchanting.
Artist site | Listen | Buy: eMusic – Amazon
*****
Emanative – The Light Years of the Darkness (Brownswood)
Excellent large ensemble spiritual jazz performance. Led by drummer-percussionist Emanative (the alias for Nick Woodmansey), they perform renditions of tunes by Alice Coltrane, Sun Ra, Pharoah Sanders and more. Rich grooves and melodies as soft as a cool breeze in Summer.
Artist site | Listen | Buy: Bandcamp – eMusic – Amazon
Read more about this album on Bird is the Worm (LINK).
*****
David Ake – Lake Effect (Posi-tone)
Seriously expressive new set from pianist Ake’s quartet. Switches between songs of a bubbling intensity and solo pieces as serene as a morning sunrise. Benefiting the album greatly, Ake gives saxophonist Peter Epstein plenty of room to roll out his solos.
Artist site | Buy: eMusic – Amazon
*****
E.J. Strickland Quintet – The Undying Spirit (Strick Muzik)
A graceful eloquence to this recording, which exhibits no hesitation to wear its heart on its sleeve. Drummer Strickland leads a quintet of pro’s pros (Jaleel Shaw, Linda Oh, Luis Pedromo and brother Marcus) through a set of straight-ahead tunes. Lots to like here, but “Midnight’s Clearing” is a song that’ll stick in your head long after the album is done playing.
Artist site | Buy: eMusic – Amazon
*****
New Cool Collective – Electric Monkey Sessions (Dox)
Benjamin Herman’s ensemble expands on their 70s psych-trip-jazz niche. Going deep with their rhythmic approaches add an interesting new facet to their melodically rich sound, especially the Senegalese influences. Fun music with some cool grooves.
Artist site | Listen | Buy: eMusic – Bandcamp – Amazon
*****
Doug Webb – Triple Play (Posi-tone)
Nifty straight-ahead set from tenor saxophonist Webb. Triple tenor sax line-up (along w/Walt Weiskopf & Joel Frahm) emits an abundance of heat. Balanced out nicely by the thick grooves of organist Brian Charette and drummer Rudy Royston.
Artist site | Buy: eMusic – Amazon
*****
Glenn Zaleski – My Ideal (Sunnyside)
Nice straight-ahead piano trio set. Whether kicking up some dust with an up-tempo piece or slipping into a ballad, Zaleski’s crew gets a nice chatter going. Guest Ravi Coltrane is a good indication that Zaleski’s next recording should include a full-time saxophonist.
Artist site | Listen | Buy: eMusic – Bandcamp – Amazon
*****
Courtney Pine – Song (The Ballad Book) (Destin-E)
Gorgeous duet album with saxophonist Pine and pianist Zoe Rahman. Sublime takes on standards and new school tunes. Solemn as a Sunday morning when the whole world is at peace.
Artist site | Buy: eMusic – Amazon
*****
Nordic Circles – Winter Rainbow (AMP Music)
Nice modern straight-ahead set. Despite their name, this quintet more often sounds closer to NYC than ECM. Nothing new, just music with a sunny atmosphere and occasional melancholy clouds.
No artist site | No listen | Buy: Amazon
*****
Have a great time digging through the list!
And remember, it’s simple: You like what you like.
Cheers.
***
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By davesumner • Jazz Recommendations, Jazz Recommendations - 2015 Releases • 0 • Tags: This is Jazz Today