Jan 14 2019
Best of 2018 #20: Mephiti – “Mephiti”
When I made this album one of my Best Jazz on Bandcamp recommendations, I stated that the takeaway of this album is that there are countless ways to express a state of serenity. The Mephiti sextet possess a strong melodic perspective, and the substance of their vision is revealed in the nuanced way they allow each to emerge, slowly, patiently, like nurturing a small flame into a roaring fire. Four of the instruments are stringed, with two guitars, bass and a kantele, and the way they delicately weave melodic patterns is not unlike Bill Frisell’s masterful use of loops and effects. Just a gorgeous recording that kept getting better over time.
Released on El Negocito Records.
Music from Antwerp, Belgium.
Read more on Bird is the Worm.
Jakob Bro‘s melodic perspective is nothing less than stunning, and it’s remarkable how he keeps finding new and inspired ways of presenting it. This live trio session with drummer Joey Baron and bassist Thomas Morgan is just the latest example of Bro’s limitless ability to craft beauty of out thin air. It’s been my personal preference when the guitarist works with a quartet or larger ensemble, but I could listen to this trio session every day for the rest of my life, and the first thing out of my mouth upon arriving in heaven would be, hey, send me back down, I need to go listen to Bay of Rainbows again.
In much the same way the duo Anteloper did on the #39 album of the year, the Blast trio of keyboardist Anne Quillier, bass clarinetist Pierre Horckmans, and drummer Guillaume Bertrand go big with every expression as they find their singularly perfect ratio of the electro-acoustic equation. But where Anteloper goes heavier with the electronics, Blast leans more toward an organic form of modern jazz, where the heartbeat of the blues thumps with clarity. Quillier’s sextet made an appearance on last year’s Best Of list, 
When I included this album as part of the
Jan 14 2019
Best of 2018 #19: Manu Pékar – “Pagan Panic”
Released on dbMP(x) Projects.
Music from: Paris, France
Read more on Bird is the Worm.
Available at: Bandcamp
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By davesumner • Recap: Best of 2018 • 0 • Tags: Daniel Beaussier, dbMP(x) Projects, Jazz - Best of 2018, Manu Pékar, Paris