It’s pretty easy to slide into the cinematic imagery conjured up by multi-instrumentalist Alex Puddu.  The Italian movie genre of giallo is his inspiration for this set of tunes, and Puddu gives In The Eye Of The Cat all the frenetic action, ominous danger, and suave personality that this particular style of storytelling demands.

The cool groove of “Il Sogno La Luna” strolls casually down midnight city streets.  “The Bull,” on the other hand, is a groove customized for car chases down those same city streets in the bold light of day.  And title-track “In the Eye of the Cat” decides that streets are for dancing.

But it’s not all about the grooves.  On tracks like “Magic Mountain” and “Una Donna allo Specchio,” the melodies step up and exert their hypnotic influence over the sonic imagery.  On the former, it’s done with fluid, quick lines of detail, whereas on the later, it’s a smooth pour of water.

Edda Dell’Orso adds her voice to some of the tracks, and she lends them much the same haunting beauty that she does the various soundtracks of Ennio Morricone.  Puddu utilizes an array of instruments, and it brings all kinds of texture and depth to the set.  This, plus string contributions from Orchestra Cinefonica di Roma cinch the deal, making this album as intriguing as it is fun.

Your album personnel:  Alex Puddu (organ, dulcimer, bouzouki, percussion, piano, conga, harpsichord, tambourine, zither, claves, crumar, flute, moog, bongos, cello, violin, drums, bass, acoustic and electric guitars), Edda Dell’Orso (vocals), Jesper Lovdal (flute, saxophone), Morten Gronvad (percussion, bongos, conga), Hendrik Jørgensen (trumpet), Gavino Congiatta (electric bass), Massimo Florentino (organ, piccolo), Orchestra Cinefonica di Roma (strings) with those strings orchestrated and conducted by Giacomo Dell’Orso.

Released on Schema Records.

Listen to more of the album on the artist’s Bandcamp page.

Jazz from the Copenhagen scene.

Available at:  Bandcamp | Amazon | eMusic

Some of my favorite authors get huge mileage out of a relatively ordinary vocabulary by focusing intently on their combinations and the cadence used to deliver them.  The set from the Lesser Lakes Trio of trumpeter Jamie Breiwick, bassist John Christensen and drummer Devin Drobka is a case in point on how to do this within a sonic medium.  There are no fireworks here and there are no outward displays of showy verbosity, but each marriage of sound is delivered with a maximum impact and possesses a real gravity when said.  The key is the patience exhibited by the trio members, utilizing just enough to create tension without overdoing it and risking the music become slow and tedious.  Even when the temperature spikes, as it does on “Don Strawberry,” the exhalations of solos are breathed out with measured deliberation.

Burst Sessions drew me from the very first notes, which isn’t something I often experience from straight-ahead recordings these days.

Your album personnel:  Jamie Breiwick (trumpet), John Christensen (bass) and Devin Drobka (drums).

This album is Self-Produced.

Listen to more album tracks on the band’s Bandcamp page.

Jazz from the Milwaukee, Wisconsin scene.

Available at:  Bandcamp

Worth noting that the album is set at Name Your Price.

Via Maris conjures up a compelling fusion of modern jazz and Mediterranean and Middle East musics.  Built around a quartet of cello, oud, guitar and percussion, and with guests on accordion, saxophones and trumpet, the unconventional configurations of Melange and their strange brew of influences is proven to be no obstacle to some seriously tuneful pieces.

Tracks like “Bia Oula Bik” and “”Marrocai” run into the street and starts the celebration, while “Anosis” keeps the enthusiasm at a contemplative simmer.  The dance of “Foq El-Nakhal” is unpredictable motion and magnetic elegance, and when it sleeps, the song dreams of the ethereal “Halfouine.”  All of these, for all their mixes of influences and expressionism, are designed to inspire motion.  Even the skittering “Longa Sakiz” is a command to move move move.

We’ve seen a couple examples lately of the melodic approach of maqam applied to a jazz setting, and this is just one more instance of its potential for success.  Fun, joyful music.

Your album personnel:  Shirley Smart (cello), Stefanos Tsourelis (oud), Demi Garcia Sabat (drums, percussion), Peter Michaels (guitar) and guests:  Maurizio Minardi (accordion), Joe Browne (saxophones), Jake Painter (trumpet) and Michele Montolli (bass).

Released on Two Rivers Records.

Listen to more album tracks on the label’s Bandcamp page.

Jazz from the London scene.

Available at:  Bandcamp | Amazon | eMusic