Aug 7 2014
Tobias Preisig – “Drifting”
Sitting on the cusp of jazz and indie-pop, , by violinist Tobias Preisig‘s Drifting is filled with passages of melodic beauty and dramatic builds of intensity. The core of most songs lies at the foot of violin, with drums, bass, and piano jumping off from that point, often into moments of startling beauty.
The album title doesn’t appear to be coincidental. Preisig leads right out with “Free Falling,” a tune that trades in form for atmospherics, and where percussion percolates below the surface while violin hovers just above it. The song neither begins nor ends, just simply materializes before fading from existence.
Other tracks don’t go quite to that extreme. For instance, the title-track is the prime example of the quartet’s winning formula. A focused, driving force, it charges straight ahead with intermittent melodic glides that linger sweetly. “Splendid” charts a similar course, but slows things down a bit, providing the melody a little extra room to breathe until the dramatic conclusion.
It’s tracks like those, where the quartet aims for some structure, that illustrate what the quartet is capable of now. However, it’s the formless tunes, those that drift atmospherically, show the seeds of where this group can go next. “Walking Twilight” and “Floating Causes” both insinuate form where none exists, which provides the musicians all kinds of space to expand on ideas, and yet still offers up a sense of cohesion. It’s that cohesion that makes all the difference between creative pursuits and instrumental noodling, and the more that Preisig is able to manipulate that sense of cohesion, the stronger his music will resonate.
Typically, those tracks that attempt to attain a definitive shape are keyed in on what piano is doing, and those tracks that eschew structure for abstract expressionism, they are led there by violin. In both instances, though, the results are quite beautiful and often riveting.
Your album personnel: Tobias Preisig (violin), Stefan Aeby (piano, rhodes), André Pousaz (bass), and Michi Stulz (drums).
Released on Traumton Records.
Jazz from the Zurich, Switzerland scene.
Available at: eMusic | Amazon CD
| Amazon MP3
Aug 8 2014
Tiny Reviews: Leslie Pintchik, DC Improvisers Collective, & Mike Parker’s Unified Theory
Tiny Reviews edition!
Featuring: Leslie Pintchik In the Nature of Things, DC Improvisers Collective In the Gloam of the Anthropocene, and Mike Parker’s Unified Theory Embrace the Wild.
*****
Leslie Pintchik – In the Nature of Things
But that’s not to say there’s a surfeit of brooding melancholia here. The track “I’d Turn Back If I Were You” comes out swinging, and the mid-tempo “Sparkle” adds some sunny rays via sax and trumpet, as well as the ever-present chatter of percussionist Satoshi Takeishi. And it’s Takeishi’s nifty articulation in a support role that gives the album an extra boost of personality. And on the subject of support roles, saxophonist Steve Wilson contributes some nice solos, but it’s his accompaniment when Pintchik is leading the way that really leads to some shining moments.
When it all shakes out, though, it’s tunes such as “With You In Mind” that shape this album’s presence. Even the choice of the album’s sole rendition, that of “I’ve Grown Accustomed To Her Face,” falls right into place with those Pintchik originals that burn something moody from the interior of chipper, bright passages. Good stuff.
Your album personnel: Leslie Pintchik (piano), Steve Wilson (alto & soprano saxes), Ron Horton (trumpet, flugelhorn), Scott Hardy (bass), Satoshi Takeishi (percussion), and Michael Sarin (drums).
Released on Pintch Hard Records.
Available at: eMusic | CDBaby | Amazon: CD
– MP3
*****
DC Improvisers Collective – In the Gloam of the Anthropocene
Guest Natalie Spehar adds her cello into the mix on two tracks, which really brings a thick melodic aspect to music that had spent plenty time up til that point speeding right along. This is especially true on “Rosslyn Suite,” where cello lifts off from a riveting intro of bass clarinet’s deep hum and a flurry from drums. First half of the album shows the group knows how to hit the gas pedal, while the second half displays their talent at simply letting the music cruise at an easy speed (excepting a mad dash to the finish line). I really enjoy this recording. Its energy is an arresting feature, but it’s the sense of completeness, of a well-rounded vision that is most striking.
Your album personnel: Ben Azzara (drums), Jonathan Matis (piano, guitar), Mike Sebastian (sax, bass clarinet), Natalie Spehar (cello), and Chris Brown and Jon Steele share responsibilities on (bass).
The album is Self-Produced.
Available at: eMusic | Bandcamp | CDBaby | Amazon MP3
*****
Mike Parker’s Unified Theory – Embrace the Wild
It’s an album that makes a pretty decent first impression, but, ultimately, it’s gonna be one that earns a listener’s appreciation through time and attention. I say this from experience.
Your album personnel: Mike Parker (bass), Dawid Fortuna (drums), Bartek Prucnal (alto sax), Slawek Pezda (tenor sax), and Cyprian Baszynski (trumpet).
The album is Self-Produced.
Cool album art from Agata Kotula.
Available at: eMusic | Bandcamp | Amazon: CD
– MP3
*****
Some of this material was used originally in the weekly new jazz releases column I write for eMusic, so here’s some language protecting their rights to the reprinted material as the one to hire me to write about new jazz arrivals to their site…
“New Arrivals Jazz Picks” & “New Arrivals Jazz Picks,“ reprints courtesy of eMusic.com, Inc.
© 2014 eMusic.com, Inc.
As always, my sincere thanks to eMusic for the gig.
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By davesumner • Jazz Recommendations, Jazz Recommendations - 2014 Releases • 0