Monthly Archives: March 2015

Mar 15 2015

This Is Jazz Today: SFJazz Collective, Harris Eisenstadt, Jean-Marie Machado & more!

 

BitW square avatarOkay, well, it took a little bit longer to publish this week’s This Is Jazz Today column than I’d intended, but now you have a nice lazy Sunday ahead of you to slowly peruse the new music… so there’s that, at least.

The top albums this week all have some serious personality to them, sounding unlike much anything else on the scene, so I expect the extended time you spend listening to it all will match my own.  Aside from a couple straight-ahead piano trio albums, there weren’t many quickies this week… lots of patient listening, instead.  And while the side-effect may be a late column, the huge amount of originality reflected by the albums below makes it worthwhile… as well as signalling the depth of modern Jazz today.

My only real disappointment is the meager amount of music I was able to embed with the synopses.  Typically, it’s just a small percentage that go without, but this week, unfortunately, there’s a shameful amount of albums that didn’t provide a single embeddable track.  Thankfully, though, this week’s strongest albums did, so get yer ear’s engine started.

And let’s begin…

*** Pick of the Week ***

 

SFJazz Collective – The Music of Joe Henderson

SFJazz Collective - "The Music of Joe Henderson"For its most recent project, the SFJazz Collective chose to embrace the music of jazz titan, Joe Henderson.  An all-star line-up consisting of the saxophones of Miguel Zenón and David Sánchez, trumpeter Avishai Cohen, trombonist Robin Eubanks, vibraphonist Warren Wolf, pianist Edward Simon, bassist Matt Penman and drummer Obed Calvaire, their imaginative takes on Henderson’s music reveals how a well-crafted arrangement can have a transformative effect on a familiar song and how a surgical dissection of a body of work can result in thrilling bursts of original creativity.  And perhaps the greatest display of talent on this session is the way in which the Collective is able to utilize odd turns of phrase and take the road least expected, yet still end up in a place that sounds very much like straight-ahead jazz.

The album is Self-Produced | Visit the artist site

More listening | Buy:  eMusic – Amazon

*****

*** This week’s featured albums ***

 

Harris Eisenstadt – Golden State II (Songlines)

Harris Eisenstadt - "Golden State II"Where on previous recordings a jarring change of mood would signal a new direction, on the newest from drummer Eisenstadt, his quartet displays a remarkable ease in transitioning seamlessly from flurries of dissonance to extended melodic glides and jaunty strolls through the park humming the blues.

Artist site | Buy: eMusic – Amazon

Read more about this album on Bird is the Worm (LINK).

*****

Jean-Marie Machado Danzas – Lagrima Latina (Self-Produced)

Jean-Marie Machado - "Lagrima Latina"Pianist Machado offers up an abundance of liveliness and personality with his Danzas orchestra and vocal trio.  A supreme tunefulness, the music jumps with enthusiasm and purrs with the sweetest melodic passages.  Expect to be reading more about this fun album on Bird is the Worm in the coming weeks.

Artist site | Listen | Buy: eMusic – Amazon

*****

chuffDRONE – chuffDRONE (Jazzwerkstatt)

chuffDRONE - "chuffDRONE"All kinds of personality displayed by this quintet.  Led out by two saxophonists, they find the right balance between boisterous enthusiasm and melodic flirtation.  Everything about the music screams fun.

Artist site | Listen | Buy: eMusic – Amazon

*****

World Kora Trio – Un Poisson dans le Désert (Passé Minuit)

World Kora Trio - "Un Poisson dans le Desert"This trio of kora, cello and percussion keeps finding new ways to enchant.  The trio develop an easy-going conversational style that teeters between serene & chatty.  So damn pretty at times, it’s heartbreaking.

Artist site | Buy: eMusic – Amazon

*****

Dominik Strycharski – Prophetic Fall (NotTwo)

Dominik Strycharski - "Prophetic Fall"Furious behavior from flautist Strycharski’s trio.  Avant-garde demeanor, however, doesn’t hide the rampant melodicism.  That said, it’s the trio’s percussive force that represents this album’s best qualities.

Artist site | Listen | Buy: eMusic – Amazon

*****

Mohamed Abozekry & Heejaz Extended – Ring Road (Jazz Village)

Mohamed Abozekry, Heejaz - "Ring Road"A hell of an exciting release from oudist Abozekry.  A strong folk music influence, but the way it’s expressed ranges far and wide.  The shifts from a furious assault to a lazy day serenity are some powerful stuff.

Artist site | Buy: eMusic – Amazon

*****

Toine Thys Trio – Grizzly (Igloo)

Toine Thys - "Grizzly"Personable sax-drums-organ trio set from saxophonist Thys.  Considering the unusual match of instruments, for the most part, this is a straight-ahead affair.  Strong lyricism that bathes in soulful waters.

Artist site | Listen | Buy: eMusic – Amazon

*****

Judith Goldbach – Reisetagebuch (JazzNArts)

Judith Goldbach - "Reisetagebuch"Goldbach’s quartet gives a modern spin to Hungarian folk tunes, providing a bit of something old and a bit of something new.  When bass clarinet and vibraphone step up, the album really takes off.  Enchanting in its way.

Artist site |  Buy: eMusic – Amazon

*****

Steve Turre – Spiritman (Smoke Sessions)

Steve Turre - "Spiritman"Another solid straight-ahead release from the Smoke Sessions label.  Led by veteran trombonist Turre, they apply their hard bop touch to both originals and standards.  It’s on those tunes that fall in the former category that the quintet’s heart beats the strongest.

Artist site | Buy: eMusic – Amazon

*****

Andre Leroux – Synchronie-cites (Effendi)

Andre Leroux - "Synchronie-cites"Nifty straight-ahead modern set from saxophonist Leroux.  Nice mix of late-night moodiness, eccentric turns-of-phrase and up-tempo boppers.  Many shows of personality that are positively radiant.

Artist site | Buy: eMusic – Amazon

*****

Duduka da Fonseca – Jive Samba (Zoho)

Duduka da Fonseca - "Jive Samba"Excellent Brazilian jazz set from drummer da Fonseca.  His trio continues to thrive in finding subtle ways of evoking both the South American and NYC influences.  Best tracks on the newest are the talkative, uptempo tunes that beat with the heart of Spring.

Artist site | Buy: eMusic – CDBaby – Amazon

*****

Jack DeJohnette – Made In Chicago (ECM)

Jack DeJohnette - "Made In Chicago"Recorded at the 2013 Chicago Jazz Festival, drummer DeJohnette leads an all-star cast of Henry Threadgill, Roscoe Mitchell, Muhal Richard Abrams and Larry Gray.  Music befitting a (sort of) AACM reunion.  Untamed, wild music.

Artist site | Buy: Amazon

*****

Weldon Hill – Free Expression (Self-Produced)

Weldon Hill - "Free Expression"An enjoyable classic straight-ahead sound from Weldon’s piano trio.  Conversational demeanor aided by simple well-crafted melodies.  Definitely one for the old-school fans.

Artist site | Buy: eMusic – CDBaby – Amazon

*****

Ryan McGillicuddy – Boots & Boots (LAJC Records)

Ryan McGillicuddy - "Boots and Boots"Seriously tuneful piano trio set.  Bassist McGillicuddy is accompanied by the talented trio of drummer Peter Erskine and pianist Vardan Ovsepian.  Nothing fancy, just solid straight-ahead modern jazz.

Artist site | Buy: eMusic – CDBaby – Amazon

*****

Tim Whalen – Oblivion (Self-Produced)

Pianist Whalen leads a quintet in a Bud Powell-themed set.  Lots of surprising moments where the trio breaks from the mold of “just another covers album.”  Passages of intense melodicism carry the day.

Artist site | Buy: eMusic – Amazon

*****

 

Have a great time digging through the list!

And remember, it’s simple:  You like what you like.

Cheers.

***

By • Jazz Recommendations, Jazz Recommendations - 2015 Releases • 0 • Tags:

Mar 13 2015

These are videos that I like: Yuri Honing & Mariecke van der Linden

 

Yuri Honing - "Desire"Today’s featured video features the music of recent This Is Jazz Today recommended artist Yuri Honing and the art of Mariecke van der Linden.

The oil paintings of van der Linden are set to the song “Route du Paradis,” a song from Honing’s Acoustic Quartet and their 2015 release, Desire.  It’s really quite beautiful.  I’d love to see more videos that marry music and painted art this way.

Read more about Desire from its inclusion in a recent This Is Jazz Today column (LINK).

And here’s that excellent video…

 

Have a great start to your weekend!

Cheers.

 

By • These are videos that I like • 0

Mar 12 2015

Recommended: Blaubart – “Blaubart”

 

Blaubart - "Blaubart"Blaubart is a fascinating reinterpretation of Béla Bartók’s Bluebird’s Castle.  A trio that adopts the title as their ensemble name, Blaubart grow lively improvisations from the heart of the original compositions.  A choppy dissonance shares the same space as pretty melodies that dance with an infectious exuberance.  A haunting beauty is often married to an ominous austerity.  Bursts of furious activity will suddenly part, to be replaced by waves of uneasy serenity.

The unrestrained joyfulness of one moment will be counterbalanced by another of deep contemplation.  It is not uncommon for the many sections of whimsy to be accompanied by a serious gravity.  The change in motion is often sudden, unexpected and in possession of an alluring fluidity.

This is enchanting music cast with an unconventional spell.  Blaubart is Something Different, and its enviable mix of wit, challenge and charm earns it a strong recommendation.

Your album personnel:  Chris Wirth (clarinet, bass clarinet, Hulusi flute), Christian Strässle (violin, viola) and Manuela Keller (piano, harmonium, glockenspiel).

Released on Unit Records.

Jazz from the Zurich, Switzerland scene.

Available at: eMusic | Amazon

 

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

Mar 11 2015

Recommended: Harris Eisenstadt – “Golden State II”

 

Harris Eisenstadt - "Golden State II"When you press play on a Harris Eisenstadt recording, you’re typically going to be face-to-face with a mercurial personality.  The music bubbles with a volatility that hints at the possibility of getting smacked in mouth.  The percussive element is delivered abruptly and has an acerbic edge to it.  Melodies aren’t so much conversation openers as demands for your wallet.  These qualities in and of themselves tend to cultivate intrigue and curiosity more than defensiveness and fear.  Add to the mix Eisenstadt’s sneaky way of slipping in melodic handshakes and jaw-dropping displays of soulfulness, and it’s why it’s easy to eagerly return to his music in perpetuity, no matter how brusquely the music may treat the ear.

On Golden State II, Eisenstadt stays true to formula.  However, what distinguishes this recording as something above and beyond past efforts is the impressive fluidity his quartet displays in shifting between the different states of mind.  Yes, the aggressive dissonance doesn’t waste time in stepping up with a shout and a clenched fist.  But where on previous recordings a jarring change of mood would signal a new direction, on the newest, his quartet displays a remarkable ease in transitioning seamlessly to extended melodic glides and jaunty strolls through the park humming the blues.  It’s not that Eisenstadt has blunted any of his edginess; instead, he’s just made it far more difficult to discern where one passage ends and the next begins.  The calculated subtlety of these startling transformations is both thrilling and oddly comforting… as if maybe the music isn’t really all that mercurial after all.

Recorded live at the 2014 Vancouver International Jazz Festival, Eisenstadt’s (slighty-reformed) Golden State Quartet takes the relentless electricity of a live performance and bottles it up nicely for the recorded medium.  And just as importantly, Eisenstadt continues to prove that his music rewards patience and those that rise to the challenge.

Your album personnel:  Harris Eisenstadt (drums), Michael Moore (clarinet), Mark Dresser (bass) and Sara Schoenbeck (bassoon).

Released on Songlines Recordings.

Jazz from the Toronto scene.

Available at:  eMusic | Amazon

 

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

Mar 10 2015

One Thousand, plus a song from Omer Avital that may be the greatest song ever created

 

BitW square avatarThis is my 1,000th post on Bird is the Worm.

I’m shocked to have gotten here so soon, but I guess my real shock is to realize that I’ve been at this for just over three years.  Three. Years.  Good god.

I’m not going to use this as an excuse for a lengthy retrospective (aka babbling about stuff semi-coherently).  Besides, it’s not been so long since I did that for both my Year in Review and Site Anniversary posts.  I will just say thanks for stopping by and I hope you continue to find great new favorite music.

Here’s a track from one of my all-time favorite jazz albums.  In truth, the audio embed doesn’t really do the song justice.  I’ve driven through the city with this CD blasting from my stereo, and it’s everything music should be.  Anyways, here it is…

Omer Avital – Free Forever

An outstanding quintet date album from one of the great composers and bassists on the jazz scene.  Straight-ahead jazz with Omer’s unique modern voice.  An album so powerful at times it can make the listener sit up and shout, not unlike Ellington’s masterful performance at Newport.  Recorded live in Italy, with Omer Avital (bass, composer), Joel Frahm (soprano & tenor sax), Avishai Cohen (trumpet), Jason Lindner (piano), and Ferenc Nemeth (drums)… all jazz heavyweights.

Everything about this song, and really the entire album, encapsulates the enthusiasm and joy I feel for the best music, and why all the hard work that goes into this site seems like such a small sacrifice for the honor and delight of discovering music like this album and sharing my love and knowledge of it to others.

As an aside, this album was included in my Best of 2011 recap posts back when I first began this site.  I never did a proper Best of 2011 list.  I keep thinking that may change one day.  Don’t be surprised if you see Free Forever listed in the top three from that year.

By the way, my original post about this album may have been my seventh post on Bird is the Worm… nearly 1,000 posts ago.  Here’s hoping for many many more.

Cheers,

Dave

P.S.  You should buy Free Forever.  Here’s some places to do it…

Available at:  eMusic | Amazon (CD – MP3)

 

By • Announcement - Site & General, These are songs that I like • 5

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